Hi. Just a little word to tell you that my holidays come to its end; so the time between the next chapters could be longer than now. But Don't worry I'll go to the end of the story.

Happy reading.

PS : the '?' is mean for Bernardo's interrogation, and the sentence between ( ) is because it's in the same time.

Chapter 4: suspicion.

"How are you son?"

Diego winced, unable to say a single word. His little ride outside didn't was restful. Bernardo comes closer, worried, letting his head.

"Who was that man? What did he want?" asks Don Alejandro drowning him with his questions.

"I... I don't know, Father."

Don Alejandro puts his hand on his son's forehead.

"You're burning... Did you take your remedy?"

"Yes, Father... Bernardo looks after me," tries Diego weary.

Don Alejandro suddenly noticed that his son's injury seems to bleed again and raises his sleeve.

"Father?"

"Your injury, Diego..."

Diego doesn't answer and closes his eyes defeated by tiredness. Bernardo is puzzled by Don Alejandro's reaction, which starts to change his son's bandage.

Two days after, Diego wake up on top form. A single feeling of irritation in his arm, and he remembers his health state... But what has happened after his fight against M.? He vaguely remembers having talk with his after and after... While Bernardo comes in the room, he notices Diego's awakened and runs to him to hug him.

"Gently, Bernardo, gently," laughs Diego.

"Diego, how are you son?" Asks Don Alejandro comes in too.

"I feel much better though I have a poor memory since the passage the doctor."

"You were delirious. Yesterday, you think you were Zorro. Totally absurd! But you were so feverish. The doctor wonders if you weren't went out or if you done any exertion."

"In my state it would be difficult to move."

"That's what I said to the doctor. I think you should stay in bed until his next visit before you stand up."

"I feel better, it's a fact. But I'll wait the doctor's opinion" While I was delirious, I was thinking I was Zorro. I hope I didn't say too much.

Not a word on his delirium except maybe a semblance of unease... Did I dream?

"It's a wise decision mi hijo... Can I get you something cold to drink?"

"With great pleasure father."

Once alone with Bernardo, Diego asks him about his return of the fight. With some gestures, Bernardo reminds to Diego that Don Alejandro has changed his bandage while outside the fight between the intruder and the soldiers was continued. Then Don Alejandro went out to have a quick look on the fight, and a gunshot went off, putting an end to this fight before a rider escapes. After, Don Alejandro and Sergeant Garcia have discussed a while before the departure of the lancers. The intruder seems to be wounded.

"My father told me I was delirious."

Bernardo giggled.

"It was so funny? I think I was Zorro."

'Not really' Bernardo shakes his head.

Then why telling me that?

"What was my delirium about?

'Sergeant Garcia... Who was Zorro's opponent' mimes Bernardo.

"Zorro's opponent... I have a hazy idea about his identity. Nothing really concretes. Besides it was he who wounded me. M. Is anger with Diego, not with Zorro. At least it's not the same anger.

'?'

"How do I know it? Well, weaker Zorro couldn't go to the duel and Diego would have been discovered. And then his comment during the duel 'You don't seem to be in form'. Thereafter, when he left, after he lost the duel, he took the path to the hacienda. I couldn't follow him; my father has challenged Zorro to a duel."

'?'

"A trick to let me know the lancers was hidden."

'?'

"How did I gone? Well... I had to knock señor De la Vega"

'?'

"That was his command. I have to admit I had neither the heart nor the strength to do it."

A discreet knock-knock resonates in the room.

"Come in."

Don Alejandro is back with a servant who brought water and fruits basket. As soon as all was in place with Bernardo's help, the servant went thanking him with a nod.

"Father, could you tells me about my delirium," asks Diego smiling and puzzled.

Don Alejandro, in the process of serving a drink to his son, almost drops what he was holding. He is certainly not expecting that question, yet it was he who had approached the subject.

"Why on earth this?"

"I'd like to laugh of my stupidity."

"Be serious, Diego. There was nothing to laugh about."

"I can't tell, I don't remember. Unfortunately! Do you have any identity about our intruder?"

"Which?

"What do you mean by which?"

"Don't you remember anything?"

"As I say before, Father, since the passage the doctor and Bernardo's remedy I have a poor memory."

Don Alejandro sighs and tries to remind him the facts.

"The second intruder has sneaked in last evening. He was stop thanks to Zorro."

"Could you be clearer? Zorro was here too?"

Don Alejandro sighs once more and resumes from the beginning.

"The day Bernardo has made his remedy, it was the day before yesterday, and I went to Los Angeles in order to purchase the ingredients that the doctor asked me. In town, there were people around the billboard. A mad man was challenging Zorro at dusk to a duel... When the dusk arrives, as you were sleeping, I've decided to go and see who this mad man was, daring to challenge Zorro. On place, I find Sergeant Garcia and a few lancers who were waiting the good time to catch Zorro while he was fighting with a masked man. M. I assumed. I've supposed he was in cahoots with the lancers to arrest yo... To arrest Zorro. Worthy of his legend, Zorro wins the duel but not without difficulty. Then, I've challenged him to a duel in order to have a private talk with him. It's a man of honour. You must take him as an example... Brief, Zorro's opponent away, Zorro away, the lancers have helped me back to the hacienda."

"They didn't try following Zorro?"

"No. I asked him to knock me to keep the lancers busy."

"Oh!"

"When we arrived to the hacienda, your door's room opened violently on Zorro. He had told me to go back to the hacienda as fast as I could, but I ignored he would be there. Then, another man went out of the room. He was masked with a goatee Like Zorro's opponent He fights with soldiers before he runs away."

"Don't you think he could be the one who hurt me?"

"Maybe... But it was sure it wasn't you... I mean, that wasn't Zorro." Correct his father.

Diego was as stunned as Bernardo.

"You feel good, Father?" It's been two times that he is mistaken.

"Yes."

"You seem preoccupied."

"Earlier, I received a strange letter."

"A strange letter... Do you mind if I ask you what it was about?"

"The author, that I find suspicious because he signs his letter with his initials, tells me that..."

"Sorry to interrupt, Father... Have you said with his initials? It's really curious. Which were his initials?"

"Zorro sign himself with a Z. Isn't it?"

"You score a point, Father. But I think that Zorro must sign his letters some other way."

"I can't tell... Right, to get back to the message from señor M. (Diego raised his eyebrows and listened more carefully.) He wants to prove that..."

"Go on, you starting to interest me."

"According to him you would be Zorro."

"This outlaw? Me? It's totally absurd." Laughs Diego.

"Indeed, you don't have Zorro's stature."

"You seem affected."

"No, of course not. It's just..."

"It's just what, Father?" Says Diego, losing his temper.

"..."

"Would you excuse-me, Father," he say settling down, "This M. Has he explains his plan?"

"No. He just gives me an appointment."

"Do you trust him?"

"I want to know who he is." And if he is right.

"You don't answer. What if it was a trap?"

"A trap! Come on, Diego, you..." Don Alejandro stops talking while a horseman arrives.

"Excuse me mi hijo, I have to welcome our visitor."

Once outside was Don Alejandro.

"Bernardo, I'd like you to watch my father. I don't like that at all... M. I'm sure he is the one who had challenged Zorro to a duel."

Zorro mimes Bernardo.

"No. It's out of the question to involve Zorro in this trouble."

Bernardo nodded and sighed. Then the door open on Don Alejandro ahead the doctor who was smiling seeing Diego awake at last. After an auscultation he gave his prognosis.

"Don Diego, you are a man with a great resistance, it's unbelievable. You can get up and move in the hacienda. But it's out of the question to have a ride before two or three days more."

"Thank you señor." Says Diego smiling.

...

In the end of the afternoon, his father finds him in the library where he spent most of his time since his awakened.

"It's settled, you're going to see M.?"

"Yes son."

"You should not go... I have a bad feeling"

"I know how to defend myself." He snapped back abruptly.

"That's not what I said." Diego tries.

"Diego, I'll go find M. Whether you like it or not."

"Good evening, Father," retorts Diego while Don Alejandro walks out of the library.

Then Diego makes sign to Bernardo to follow him and waits despite the fact that his heart don't stop to repeat Zorro.