Chapter 2. Family matters.

Diego opened his eyes and saw that he was in a huge room, with white marble floor. His mother was by his side.

"Where are we?" he asked, dazzled.

"In your brother's trial."

"Is this a dream?"

"In part it is."

When he thought about Gilberto he could see him, he was standing in front of a dais. Two men dressed in armor were on both sides, preventing him from escaping. When he looked right at them he could see two soldiers from a past time, but when he turned his sight, he seemed to see the silhouette of wings.

"Hola, Diego," said a familiar voice.

"Agueda, it's good to see you. I think you know my mother."

"Yes, we've talked a few times."

"What are we waiting for?" Diego asked.

"The verdict. He is charged with robbery, murder, and satanic practices."

As he turned his eyes to Gilberto he saw that there was a man in front of him. It looked about fifty years old. He spoke in a deep and stern voice.

"I declare that this man has been moved by envy, greed and pride. There is no repentance in him, and I sentence him to a thousand years in hell."

Diego's mother stepped forward. "I ask for the clemency of the court. I want to take some of his guilt. I didn't know how to protect him. I request an adjournment so he can repent. The woman who kidnapped him influenced him when he was innocent and I request the same time that woman had him away from me."

"Mother, don't sacrifice yourself for him." Diego begged.

The judge turned to them. "Come closer." he said in a voice capable of moving continents.

Both stood in front of him, a few yards from Gilberto.

"Do you also ask for clemency for him?" he said looking at Diego.

He turned to his mother, and then to Gilberto, who stood, stiff as a statue. He was tempted to say no, that he deserved the greatest of punishments, but he could not help thinking that his life had been full of hate, and he did not want to be like him.

"Are you sure?" he whispered ,looking at his mother. She nodded slightly.

"I also ask for clemency." he said.

His mother's serene expression barely changed, but she seemed to hint at a smile.

"Adjournment is granted. You'll have 26 years to teach him to repent. When the deadline is over, the trial will be repeated."

Gilberto turned to them with a smug smile. He tried to move, but he couldn't.

"You're under my control, you'll have to come with me," Doña Elena told him.

"You can make me follow you, but I will never admit that you are my mother."

She turned to Diego. "I must go back to him to relive the past, and then I think it will be time to be on my way. We may never see each other again during your life."

"I've had you all this time. I appreciate you being with me, and I hope you can get to him."

"It will be difficult, but I have to try. I owe him at least that." She looked at him and smiled, stroking his cheek. "I'm proud of you, and if you ever think it might do any good, tell your father that I love him, but if he finds a chance to be happy with someone, let him take advantage of it."

She and Gilberto vanished.

"Thank you for coming, Agueda."

"You're welcome. I know you're having trouble with your magic."

"Yes, it's been hard to tell my father. Now I must find a way for Victoria to believe me."

"You have given up something, and in return you will receive something. Have faith."

zzZzz

Diego was sleeping for almost fourteen hours straight. His father entered his room several times, worried about him, but although he seemed to have a bit of a fever, his breathing was normal, and he thought it best to let him still rest.

When he got up, he was numb and hungry, but he was better, and the fever was gone. After freshen up and dressing, he went to the kitchen to ask Maria, the cook, for something.

"You'll have to wait for lunch, Don Diego," she said without looking up from the stew she was stirring.

"Come on, I haven't had any breakfast."

"Because you haven't gotten up in time. You know, Don Diego, I've told you many times." she said, waving a spoon towards him.

"All right, I'll wait," Diego said, looking sorry, knowing that even though she was back in front of the stew, she was looking at him through the corner of her eye.

Maria left the stick spoon on the kitchen table and approached the loaf of bread she had covered with a cloth. She cut a slice and laid a piece of cheese on top of it. Diego caught them, but first gave her a kiss on her cheek.

"Thank you, you're a gem."

"Get out of my kitchen, smooth talker," she said, concealed a smile.

Diego went to the library, where Don Alejandro was trying to do some accounts, although he was loosing the plot every time.

"If you leave crumbs on the carpet you'll have to deal with Adela." said Alejandro.

Diego greeted his father. "Good morning, or rather, good afternoon."

"I suppose you find yourself more rested."

"Yes, I haven't slept a whole night in a while, and I don't remember sleeping so long often."

"You've definitely earned it."

"Thank you."

"I'd like to talk about what you've been doing these years," Said don Alejandro lowering his voice.

"Of course, but we'd better go to the cave to prevent anyone from accidentally listening to us. They may not understand what we are saying, but I'd rather not take any chances."

They went down the stairs together and don Alejandro looked around again, astonished at the amount of foreign objects that he accumulated there.

"Where's the horse?"

"Surely in the hills. He knows how to activate the mechanisms to get in and out of the cave."

"Someone could see him."

"I don't think so, my magic protects him too. Since he started going on his own, no one has seen him."

"I suppose it's true." he said with little conviction. "But it's hard to believe."

"It may seem strange, but the fact that it's hard to believe in this case makes things easier."

Don Alejandro stared around, pensive.

"Do you want to ask me anything else?"

"It's just that…"

"About magic?"

Don Alejandro sighed, somewhat uncomfortably. "That book you used yesterday. Was it your mother's?"

"Yes, she told me where it was right after she died."

Don Alejandro nodded. "I understand it's part of you, but I can't get used to you saying these things."

"I'm sorry, Father. Maybe we should take it one step at a time."

"But I need to know something about your brother. Was he like you too?"

"I think so, but maybe I wasn't so gifted."

"I can't stop thinking about him. Do you think he's in hell?"

I can tell you what I know, but it won't be easy for you.

"Please tell me. I want to know what happened to him. I feel like I've failed him completely."

"Yesterday there was a trial, and although he was originally condemned to hell, mother intervened and wanted to take over so he could have a chance."

"Your mother was there? I thought she left with your sister."

"No, she knew there was something holding her back, though she didn't know what it was until the end."

"And now she's completely gone?"

"Yeah, I don't think I'll ever see her again."

"So Gilberto is with her, and maybe he'll be saved."

"I think it's difficult, but if anyone can do it, she can."

"Yes, her will was always very strong. I'm glad to hear it."

zzZzz

Several days later they were back in the cave, while Diego answered his father's questions and told him some of his experiences. Don Alejandro at times seemed skeptical, astonished and proud. Also pretty upset sometimes.

"We didn't ask you to help us with those men."

"Father, be reasonable. You and your friends weren't in great shape when you went out looking for them." (1)

At that moment Felipe entered the room, nervously began to make signs and Diego looked at him worried, trying to understand him. Almost at the same instant, the cave door opened and Tornado trotted in.

Diego finally got to understand what he was saying. "He says there are some men outside waiting for us, apparently some bandits have stolen cattle on the Martinez ranch and they have made a patrol to chase them."

Don Alejandro's first impulse was to leave the cave, but Diego stopped him. "Join the patrol and tell them I'm not here."

"Aren't you coming with us? With your arm hurt, maybe it's for the best."

"I can manage with my left arm if I have your help, but first I'll change my clothes."

"But they'll realize you can't use your right arm."

"I don't think so, I always use the whip with my left hand, and I can also use the sword. Others won't notice the details too much, they never do. But. Do you think you'll be able to act like you don't know?" Diego's gaze was of concern.

"I think so. I must do it."

Felipe and Don Alejandro left the cave after making sure there was no one in the library. Three men on horseback waited outside, Ricardo Martinez, his son and one of his cowboys.

"I'll go out with you." Don Alejandro said immediately.

"Does your son come too?"

"He's not home." Don Alejandro seemed a little lost, but Felipe signed something to him.

"He's gone out to pick up some plants for one of his projects. We'd better get out of here. Felipe, go to the garrison and warn the soldiers."

Don Alejandro rode his horse and they departed immediately.

zzZzz

While riding in a southerly direction, Don Ricardo turned to Don Alejandro. "It's a shame your son isn't a man of action. I don't know what will become of your hacienda when you're gone."

Don Alejandro had heard similar comments several times, and was outraged to hear it again, but this time he didn´t lose his temper. Whatever they think about Diego, he knew his son was worth more than any of them, so he just replied: "My son may not be valuable in a fight against bandits, but people like him are the ones who make the laws fair. Every person has their place."

His voice was calm and stern and Don Ricardo seemed a little hesitant when he replied. "I'm sorry Don Alejandro, I didn't mean to offend you."

A gust of wind brought them a cloud of dust and the sound of cows moaning. Don Ricardo beckoned for them to stop. They dismounted to peek more discreetly across a small hill. Along the way they saw two dozen cows and five riders leading them south, as they had assumed.

"They're more than us, and they're armed with rifles." Don Alejandro said in a whisper.

"No, we actually match them in number." Answered a voice right behind them.

They turned surprised and saw Zorro smiling.

"Zorro!" Don Ricardo exclaimed.

Don Alejandro smiled, unable to avoid it, but his gesture went unnoticed by others.

"If we can get them to unload their rifles, we can capture them before they can reload. Approach them when you hear the gunshots." Zorro said.

"But what are you going to do?" asked don Alejandro, worried.

Zorro gestured to him and went to the other side of the hill, crouching behind the undergrowth to avoid being seen and as quiet as when he had arrived without the others noticing. After a few moments some clicks sounded, like gunshots, and a small tree stirred.

"They attack us, open fire" The chief of the bandits was heard to say.

Several shots rang out and an instant later Zorro came out from behind some rocks, a few feet from the tree. Don Alejandro realized that it had been a whip trick to make them believe he was shooting from another position. Don Alejandro and the other three men left where they were hiding and while most of the bandits were still looking at Zorro, they neutralized two of them.

Don Ricardo's son threw himself on one of them, and they rolled to the ground, but when the man tried to pull out a knife, Don Alejandro held his arm firmly and the boy was able to hit him. The bandit boss attacked Zorro with a sword and a knife, but was unable to compete with his skill and soon his weapons were on the ground. The remaining bandit surrendered.

"Thank you Zorro." said don Ricardo satisfied.

"Yes, thank you," Said don Alejandro as he tried to disguise his pride.

Zorro rode his horse and after taking his hand to the hat as a salute he left. Don Ricardo commissioned his son and the cowboy to take the cattle back to the estate. He and Don Alejandro made the bandits ride, unarmed and his hands tied, to take them to the garrison. They had barely set out when they met a group of soldiers who took over the prisoners.

"Come and celebrate, I invite you to a drink in my hacienda." said Don Ricardo cheerfully.

"I'm tired, Don Ricardo, I'd rather go home. Thank you very much."

"Thank you for your help."

zzZzz

Zorro saw an animal moving into the hills with silent footsteps and decided not to return home immediately. He rode a light trot, following the shadow of his fox. Soon he saw a rider in the distance. His paths crossed, and Diego did not avoid the meeting.

He recognized her right away. She had a few more gray hairs, but she still had the same alert look on her coppery face.

"Hello, storyteller."

"Good morning, dreamer."

Diego was surprised. "You never told me you knew my secret."

"The owl sings near the village. Songs about a warrior hiding behind a mask. But he's started singing something different. About spilled blood and revealed secrets, to your father and your consort. I figured you were ready to talk to me, too."

"Victoria is not my consort, and she doesn't know it yet."

"Not yet, but she´ll know soon enough. You shouldn't keep her waiting. She has been sneaking for years, to practice a certain kind of fighting with other young women in the village. She's not very good with the knife, but I advise you not to make her mad at you if she has a broom handy."

"I'll keep that in mind, thank you. But it's going to be hard that she doesn't get mad if she finds out your chief wants me to marry his daughter. (2)"

"I know, I saw you used your magic to escape the village, but don't worry about it. I convinced the chief of the tribe that you're not the right man for Washdea. I told him that you live between two worlds, that of the white man and that of the spirits, and that she belongs not to either."

"Does anyone else know my secret?"

She shook her head. "Only I can understand the owl song."

For a while they both watched the sunset, and then each took the road back home.

Notes

(1) See chapter 3-10: Alejandro rides again.

(2) See chapter 4-2: Ultimate justice.