Felipe was experiencing the same feeling. He watched as Diego dressed into the black outfit of Zorro. It was something the boy had done many times over the years, but something was different now. Diego's actions were stiff, as if he was forcing himself to put on those clothes. If Felipe did not know better, he would have sworn he saw a look of distaste crossing Diego's face when he first touched the mask today.

Zorro turned towards Toronado without even looking in the mirror. He usually adjusted the mask on his face after a quick glance to see where it was, but today his eyes had stayed lowered, like the mirror would show some horrible sight.

He quickly jumped up on the great stallion and left. There was no smile or gentle adios this time. Felipe wondered what was wrong with his friend. It seemed as if he now carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.

He hesitated only a moment before walking towards the exit. He pulled the lever and walked through the passage quickly. He needed to work in the cave, but it could wait. He raced towards his room and his rosary. Chores would have to wait until after he had asked that the Lord protect his friend and hero.

* * * * *

The crowd was restless, but DeSoto seemed to enjoy their outcries. Victoria could see the hint of a smile forming as he rubbed his jaw. Unlike the crowd, Victoria remained quiet. She had no doubt that Zorro would be here soon, and that he would quickly wipe the arrogant smile from the alcalde's face.

"Don Tores is a loyal Spaniard," Don Alejandro protested. Victoria's eyes strayed around the plaza, hoping to catch site of the man she loved. Maybe I could ask him to look after Diego. A good friend to the de la Vegas, he would be as concerned as she when she told him.

"Really? Does a loyal Spaniard carry military secrets in his horse's saddlebags?" the alcalde challenged him. The crowd gasped in surprise since was the first time they had been told why Don Tores was being accused of treason.

Don Tores managed to say a few words before being punched in the stomach by the butt of a lancer's musket. "I'm innocent! They weren't there--"

Don Alejandro took a step closer to the gallows. The crowd recognized the signs. An angry Don Alejandro sputtered and yelled, but an enraged Don Alejandro stayed in control, each movement similar to those of a stalking cat. Even the alcalde, standing next to the accused and surrounded by his own lancers, took a step back from the advancing man. "My friend says that he never saw those papers before your men searched his bags."

The alcalde's eyebrow lifted. "Don Tores has made no such claim."

"He did when I spoke to him earlier in his jail cell."

DeSoto's eyes showed his anger and his surprise. He swirled to look at Mendoza. "This prisoner was to have no visitors!"

Mendoza winced at his superior's yell. "I'm sorry, mi alcalde, but a condemned prisoner always has the right to talk to the executor of his estate and a priest."

Don Alejandro grinned as he crossed his arms. It was not a sign of amusement. "Why is that you did not want Don Tores to be able to speak to anyone, Alcalde?"

DeSoto straightened in anger at the mocking tone. "He's a danger to the Crown. If we let him talk to anyone, he could possibly pass secrets to those who work to hurt our glorious King."

"Have you even looked at the evidence, Alcalde?" asked a voice that was even more mocking. Victoria turned to look behind her with a grin on her face. It faltered when her eyes rested on her fiancé. He stood on the top of building, a sight that the people of Los Angeles were used to seeing. However, there were no chimneys in the center to duck behind, no easy escape routes. Victoria's face twisted in concern when she realized that she had never seen him use the blacksmith's roof as a means of escape or challenge.

DeSoto's rage exploded. "Of course I have!"

Zorro's usual amusement was missing. "Really?" he asked softly. "How do you plan to explain to the governor that you hung one of his closest friends for having in his possession an edict that you had posted three months before his arrest?"

The crowd was silent. DeSoto's mouth opened and closed in shock. He then turned sharply to look at the lancer closest to Tores, the one that had butted him in the stomach. Victoria did not like that lancer, had not since he arrived from Mexico City last week. "I took it from the pile you said, Alcalde. I cannot read!" Victoria and Alejandro were the only ones in the crowd close enough to hear, but DeSoto knew his plan had failed. His face wore that all-too-familiar look.

"Let him go," he spit out between clenched teeth. Victoria turned to look over at the blacksmith's, expecting to find her love already gone. Her heart dropped at the sight of him still standing there, his arms crossed loosely. DeSoto also noticed then that his adversary was not quick to leave.

"Shoot him!" he ordered his men. Victoria flinched as the lancers aimed their weapons. She screamed when they fired. Instead of ducking as they aimed, he had just stood there, like a condemned man before a firing squad. At the last second, he ran and jumped off the back of the building. She hoped Toronado was waiting there to race him away from the pueblo.

Her heart was in her throat when she heard the familiar hoof beats pounding behind her. He was racing through the plaza to get away instead of riding away outside the pueblo. Had he gone loco? She turned to look at him, but for once he didn't even look her way. He thundered away as the soldier's bullets whizzed past him. Victoria would have sunk to her knees if not for Don Alejandro's support.

Today, she had not gained an ally in her concern for Don Diego. Instead, she now found herself worrying about both of the men she loved.

* * * * *

Victoria sat quietly at one of her own tables. Anna Maria was taking care of the few customers the tavern had, which was a good thing. Victoria was in no shape to take care of her patrons. She finally noticed what Don Alejandro was saying to his friends: "--magnificent! I thought the alcalde would swallow his own tongue!" He clapped his hands together in excitement. His friends laughed.

She looked over at him in surprise. How could he not . . . Surely, he noticed . . . "Don Alejandro, something is wrong with Zorro."

All eyes rested on her. She rubbed her arms, knowing that the chill was inside of her. "He took so many unnecessary risks today."

"I don't think he took one unnecessary chance at all," Don Tores said with a kind smile.

Victoria shook her head. "I'm not meaning his rescuing you. I expected that. It's just--" She sighed heavily, aggravated that she could not find the words. Running her hand through her hair, she turned away from the men. "It was like he was asking them to hit him with those bullets. He just stood there, waiting--"

Laughing, Don Alejandro walked over and put his hands on her arms, trying to comfort her. "I think you are worrying too much, Victoria. He was just having some fun at the alcalde's expense."

Victoria turned in his arms, looking at him intently. "I pray that you are right, Don Alejandro, but I didn't see any joy in him today."

* * * * *

Diego sat in the library. The sun was setting, but he did not bother to light any candles. There was no need. He had no plans for tonight.

He sat silently, his thoughts focused on the past. Today, in the plaza, he had experienced a feeling that he had never felt as Zorro. When the lancers had fired their guns, relief had flooded through his senses, so strong that he could almost taste it. If Don Alejandro and Victoria had not been there . . .

The relief was almost as intense when he took off the familiar outfit. *Realizing that the black of the cowl matches the blackness in your soul?* the now familiar voice of condemnation whispered. Maybe that was the reason he never wanted to be Zorro again, or maybe it was because he now knew the hero was a living lie.

*Coward*, the voice of his mind whispered. *Murderer*, it accused him. Diego sat in silence, surrounded by the voice's allegations.

* * * * *

Victoria sat outside of her tavern, watching the people mill about the plaza. Most everyone was outside today because of the heat. A few would be stopping by soon for something to refresh them she was sure, but for right now, she had an empty establishment. It was unfortunate, because it gave her too much time to think. Too much time to worry about Diego and Zorro and what was bothering them.

She watched Alejandro hop off his horse and storm over to where the alcalde stood. Leaning forward, she put her weight on her elbow. The old caballero had been quiet since the arrest of his friend Don Tores. The once-condemned man had--some said wisely--left the area for a vacation. Tores believed the alcalde was looking for a way to embarrass the governor, and he refused to be the bait. DeSoto, enraged by his recent defeat, had begun arresting peasants one after another. Fortunately, Zorro had stopped him each time.

Thoughts of the outlaw made Victoria frown. He was becoming even more reckless, if that were possible. She spent every day expecting to hear news that he had been hurt or killed. There had been whispers that he had been hurt challenging the Argüello gang. There was little doubt that it was true. After all, it was one man against thirty-four of the most vicious banditos in Alta California. It was impressive that he had escaped with his life.

Don Alejandro's voice was loud enough for everyone to hear. "--is illegal, DeSoto, as you well know. The governor has worked hard on his peace treaties with the Indians, and I do not believe he would like hear how you are undermining them!"

DeSoto quietly stood in front of Alejandro. Victoria sat up when she noticed how calm he appeared to be, and she wondered at it. Was he planning to harm Don Alejandro?

"Don't be ridiculous, Don Alejandro," he said loud enough for everyone to hear. Victoria could hear the edge of anger in his voice, but he was working hard to hide it. "The Indians have agreed to pay the tax. They can afford to pay it, even more than most of the peons in this pueblo. Their copper ore has made them wealthy."

Victoria was an expert on the shifting changes of a crowd's emotion. DeSoto did deserve some credit. He was learning to play a politician well. The ability of the Indians to pay, along with the inability of the peons to pay, was a remarkable trump card. The crowd of peasants, too overtaxed for almost a decade, was siding quickly with DeSoto.

Alejandro seemed to understand that he was on the losing side for the moment. "It is illegal, Alcalde, and you know it," he said softly, his hands clenched at his side. "The governor has worked hard to get peace--"

"With savages?" DeSoto taunted. Another trump card. Most of the peasants feared the Indians, having little to do with them.

Alejandro's struggle to remain in control was obvious to see. "The Indians here are good people. We stole their land, and then forced them to live like animals. The governor has realized how many good men we have lost fighting the Indians instead of working with them for peace!"

DeSoto grinned, knowing that he was winning this particular argument. It was an unusual occurrence when the de la Vegas were involved. "There is no uprising, Don Alejandro. As I said, the Indians agreed to pay."

He began to walk away. "I wonder what the Governor will think of your blatant disregard of his orders!" the caballero called after him.

"I would not advice you to try to find out, Señor!" All pretense of pleasantness was gone. The alcalde was letting his teeth show.

Don Alejandro had never been afraid of animals. He stepped close to the alcalde, so close that it made the other man uncomfortable. Alejandro grinned. "Your advice is . . . noted, Alcalde." He turned and walked away, leaving an angry DeSoto stewing behind him.

Victoria stood, watching the ranchero storming over to her tavern. She was glad to see him, because she had been thinking about riding out to the de la Vega hacienda tonight to visit with him. She desperately wanted to talk about Diego and Zorro with someone who cared about them as much as she did, and Don Alejandro did deeply care about both of them.

"I can not believe the arrogance of that man!" he snapped as he stormed past her. She followed him into her tavern, wondering how to bring up the subject. Surely he had noticed now how Diego walked around like a ghost, and Zorro acted like he wanted to be one.

"Did you hear what he was doing, Victoria? He forced the Indians to agree to taxation with vague threats and then acts as they walked into his office and asked to pay taxes! I don't understand what he is up to," Don Alejandro said, clenching his gloves in his right hand.

She poured him a glass of lemonade and watched as he drank it. He appeared to be calming down, but lost in thought. She considered putting off talking to him--he had not been open after Don Tores's escape, and she was not sure that he was any more willing to listen now. Then, the gnawing feeling in her gut made itself felt, and she knew that she could not put if off for a minute longer.

"Don Alejandro?"

"Um?" he answered vaguely.

"Don Alejandro, what's wrong with Diego?" she spit the question out in her nervousness. What if he were ill? Maybe even dying?

He finally focused on her. "What? Nothing's wrong with Diego, as far I know. Why do you ask?"

Victoria hesitated a moment before answering. Had he really not seen what was so obvious to her? Maybe she was wrong? "He's walking around like he's a ghost! He barely eats. You can see how much weight he has lost from the way his clothes hang. He's hardly talked to a soul this past month, and I don't why."

Alejandro waved his hand. "Oh, he's probably focused on one of his pointless experiments."

Victoria shook her head. "I don't think so, Don Alejandro. He seems angry. And hurt."

"I think you are just worrying too much, Victoria. Just like you were worried about Zorro," he said kindly, lightly clasping his hand over hers across the bar.

Victoria looked down at her hands. "I am worried about them. Diego acts like a dead man, and Zorro acts like a man who wants to be dead."

Alejandro started to say something more to her, but Don Fernando walked into the room with some other caballeros. "What do you think the alcalde is trying to do to the governor, Don Alejandro?" the man's voice boomed across the room. Alejandro gave her an apologetic smile, and turned eagerly to talk to his friends about recent events.