"You'll will not believe what the alcalde is doing now, my son," Don
Alejandro said, walking into his library.
"What's he doing now?" his son asked, sitting in a chair.
"Well, not surprisingly, he's disobeying the--" Alejandro stopped speaking when he realized how weak that voice sounded. For the first time in over a month, he focused on Diego. The sight before him shocked him.
Diego's skin was pale and gaunt, and his eyes had large dark circles under them. Victoria was being kind when she said that his clothes were hanging loosely. They were practically falling off of him! He shivered a little when he thought about Victoria's comments. Diego looked--Diego looked--He looked exactly like Alejandro had pictured ghosts looking like when he listened to one of the numerous tales usually told around a campfire. How had he not noticed?
"Diego, are you all right?" His voice hinted at both his surprise and his concern.
His son smiled. "I'm fine, Father."
"Are you sure?" Thinking over the events of the last few months, Alejandro could think of nothing that would be bothering Diego. Still, he did look rough.
The smile grew larger. "Honestly, I'm fine. I've been a little distracted by one of my experiments. You were saying that the alcalde was breaking the law again? Which one?"
As had become his habit over the last few years, Alejandro believed what his son said with little question. He turned his attention back to the illegal taxation, forgetting his momentary concern.
* * * * *
"How long are you here for, amigo?" Don Alejandro asked an old friend two days later. It was not often that they had a chance to meet these days, and their letters often took time to find one another. Alejandro had stayed put over the years, but Jack Willis was a man with no moorings. He traveled around the world like tumbleweed, following the wind to his next location. It was how Alejandro first met him in Spain, back when they both had been young men. He, Edmund, and Jack were often getting into trouble until Alejandro caught a glimpse of a beautiful lady traveling by in her coach. Within four months, he had married her, and his friends had continued in their old ways without him.
"I'm just passing through, Alejandro. I have somewhere I need to be, so I'm leaving on the afternoon coach," Jack answered regretfully.
The caballero leaned back, an amused smirk on his face. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "You have to be somewhere?"
Jack shifted uncomfortably in his seat. For a moment, Don Alejandro thought that his old friend would refuse to answer. When Jack looked up at him, the look on his face stunned Alejandro. There was pain, and fear, and hope, and--it was a collage of all human emotions.
His friend finally answered with his own question. "Do you remember Catalina?"
Alejandro thought for a few moments, time having dimmed his memories. "Catalina? Oh, yes, that was that actress you were seeing when I met my Elena. She was beautiful."
"Only on the outside, my friend. Only on the outside." He took a swig of his tequila before saying anything else. "A few years ago, a young man contacted me. He was the son of Catalina."
Alejandro saw the rest of the story on his friend's face. "Your son."
Jack nodded. "Yes, my son. He thought his father was dead, but then he found a letter from his mother when he was going through her things. She had died of a fever, and he was trying to clean out her room."
"So, he contacted you--" He hoped that it had a good ending for his comrade. Jack's past was murky to even his closet friends, but those who knew him sensed it contained great pain. Elena often told him that she thought was Jack was running from something. Alejandro had to agree with his wife, praying that he would one day find healing in running to something. Maybe Jack's son would give him that something to run towards at last.
"He just wanted to get to know me a little, to find his roots." Jack took another drink of his tequila. "We wrote a lot of letters. I found myself staying in one place so he could contact me, believe it or not."
Alejandro laughed. "That is amazing, Jack."
The American laughed with him. "I know, but . . ." He looked up at his friend again, his eyes shining with tears and joy. "His wife's about to have my grandbaby, and he invited me over to see them. They live in Mexico City. I know the chances aren't good, but I'm trying to get there before she has the little one."
Alejandro remembered the joy of seeing his son for the first time. His only regret was that he had not been there when he was born, so he understood Jack's desire. "May the Lord keep the wind at your back," he said, lifting his glass in a toast.
Jack laughed in his joy, gladly lifting his own glass as a toast. Alejandro saw that his friends had really found something to run towards, and he prayed that the other man held on to it tightly with both hands.
* * * * *
Jack was preparing to step on the coach when he asked about Diego. "How's that son of yours, by the way?" Alejandro felt his smile faltering for a moment. Diego had not been present for one meal in the last two days, and he couldn't be sure that the young man had eaten anything. "Is anything wrong?"
Alejandro smiled at himself, forcing his concerns to the back of his mind. His son was a strong young man. He was fine. Diego had already told him that he was just concentrating on an experiment, and Felipe always made sure to see that he was eating when he was in one of those moods.
He felt his smile relax. "Yes, everything is fine. Diego's been lost in his books for the last few days."
"You sound very proud of him," Jack said wistfully.
"I am," he admitted. "Very proud, Jack. Now that you are living so close, you'll have to come back and meet him sometime."
"I'd like that," Jack said with a smile. "I'm always willing to meet someone who can impress Don Alejandro de la Vega!'
He smiled and nodded. "Yes, Jack, when you meet him you'll realize that somehow a champion came from this old workhorse."
"Then, I'll definitely have to meet him, if you consider yourself a workhorse. Adios!"
Alejandro stood watching the coach until it disappeared in the distance. He turned and stopped at the sight of the alcalde and the lancers surrounding him. The look on Mendoza's face told him that he was not about to like what DeSoto was planning.
The alcalde grinned a broad grin. "Meeting with an Americano? Don Alejandro," he tsked. "I would think you would know better."
* * * * *
Felipe ran as fast as his legs would carry him. He was used to running back and forth to the pueblo. He had his little pony to ride, but he enjoyed the feeling of freedom that using his own legs gave him. He was used to the run, and could usually manage the distance without breathing hard. Today was different. He was pushing himself harder than he ever had, feeling every tortured breath sucked into his body.
He stopped in front of Diego, who was again sitting in the library, staring out of the window. It was a usual pose for him anymore. Felipe waited for the man to notice him, but it took him a few moments. His face was blank when he saw the sweaty young boy standing in front of him. "What's wrong, Felipe?"
Catching his breath at last, Felipe sighed as quick he could. "My father? The alcalde is planning to hang my father? For what reason?"
Felipe made motions indicating the rancho to the right of the de la Vega land. "He's accusing him of treason like Don Tores?"
Diego stood there, his hands clenched. Felipe turned from the fireplace to look at his friend. His concern had only grown over the last few weeks. He managed to get Diego to eat the bare minimum each day with a stubbornness that surprised him and Diego, but he still had no clue as to what was bothering the older man. "Should I go as Diego or as Zorro?"
Felipe's jaw dropped. It was a question never asked before, and he worried why it was being done so now. They did not have time to debate the issue. He tugged on the caballero's white shirt, angrily made the sign of the "Z", and pulled the man towards the cave. Don Alejandro was in trouble, and the only person who could save him was Zorro. They would have to work out Diego's problem when he got back from the pueblo.
"What's he doing now?" his son asked, sitting in a chair.
"Well, not surprisingly, he's disobeying the--" Alejandro stopped speaking when he realized how weak that voice sounded. For the first time in over a month, he focused on Diego. The sight before him shocked him.
Diego's skin was pale and gaunt, and his eyes had large dark circles under them. Victoria was being kind when she said that his clothes were hanging loosely. They were practically falling off of him! He shivered a little when he thought about Victoria's comments. Diego looked--Diego looked--He looked exactly like Alejandro had pictured ghosts looking like when he listened to one of the numerous tales usually told around a campfire. How had he not noticed?
"Diego, are you all right?" His voice hinted at both his surprise and his concern.
His son smiled. "I'm fine, Father."
"Are you sure?" Thinking over the events of the last few months, Alejandro could think of nothing that would be bothering Diego. Still, he did look rough.
The smile grew larger. "Honestly, I'm fine. I've been a little distracted by one of my experiments. You were saying that the alcalde was breaking the law again? Which one?"
As had become his habit over the last few years, Alejandro believed what his son said with little question. He turned his attention back to the illegal taxation, forgetting his momentary concern.
* * * * *
"How long are you here for, amigo?" Don Alejandro asked an old friend two days later. It was not often that they had a chance to meet these days, and their letters often took time to find one another. Alejandro had stayed put over the years, but Jack Willis was a man with no moorings. He traveled around the world like tumbleweed, following the wind to his next location. It was how Alejandro first met him in Spain, back when they both had been young men. He, Edmund, and Jack were often getting into trouble until Alejandro caught a glimpse of a beautiful lady traveling by in her coach. Within four months, he had married her, and his friends had continued in their old ways without him.
"I'm just passing through, Alejandro. I have somewhere I need to be, so I'm leaving on the afternoon coach," Jack answered regretfully.
The caballero leaned back, an amused smirk on his face. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "You have to be somewhere?"
Jack shifted uncomfortably in his seat. For a moment, Don Alejandro thought that his old friend would refuse to answer. When Jack looked up at him, the look on his face stunned Alejandro. There was pain, and fear, and hope, and--it was a collage of all human emotions.
His friend finally answered with his own question. "Do you remember Catalina?"
Alejandro thought for a few moments, time having dimmed his memories. "Catalina? Oh, yes, that was that actress you were seeing when I met my Elena. She was beautiful."
"Only on the outside, my friend. Only on the outside." He took a swig of his tequila before saying anything else. "A few years ago, a young man contacted me. He was the son of Catalina."
Alejandro saw the rest of the story on his friend's face. "Your son."
Jack nodded. "Yes, my son. He thought his father was dead, but then he found a letter from his mother when he was going through her things. She had died of a fever, and he was trying to clean out her room."
"So, he contacted you--" He hoped that it had a good ending for his comrade. Jack's past was murky to even his closet friends, but those who knew him sensed it contained great pain. Elena often told him that she thought was Jack was running from something. Alejandro had to agree with his wife, praying that he would one day find healing in running to something. Maybe Jack's son would give him that something to run towards at last.
"He just wanted to get to know me a little, to find his roots." Jack took another drink of his tequila. "We wrote a lot of letters. I found myself staying in one place so he could contact me, believe it or not."
Alejandro laughed. "That is amazing, Jack."
The American laughed with him. "I know, but . . ." He looked up at his friend again, his eyes shining with tears and joy. "His wife's about to have my grandbaby, and he invited me over to see them. They live in Mexico City. I know the chances aren't good, but I'm trying to get there before she has the little one."
Alejandro remembered the joy of seeing his son for the first time. His only regret was that he had not been there when he was born, so he understood Jack's desire. "May the Lord keep the wind at your back," he said, lifting his glass in a toast.
Jack laughed in his joy, gladly lifting his own glass as a toast. Alejandro saw that his friends had really found something to run towards, and he prayed that the other man held on to it tightly with both hands.
* * * * *
Jack was preparing to step on the coach when he asked about Diego. "How's that son of yours, by the way?" Alejandro felt his smile faltering for a moment. Diego had not been present for one meal in the last two days, and he couldn't be sure that the young man had eaten anything. "Is anything wrong?"
Alejandro smiled at himself, forcing his concerns to the back of his mind. His son was a strong young man. He was fine. Diego had already told him that he was just concentrating on an experiment, and Felipe always made sure to see that he was eating when he was in one of those moods.
He felt his smile relax. "Yes, everything is fine. Diego's been lost in his books for the last few days."
"You sound very proud of him," Jack said wistfully.
"I am," he admitted. "Very proud, Jack. Now that you are living so close, you'll have to come back and meet him sometime."
"I'd like that," Jack said with a smile. "I'm always willing to meet someone who can impress Don Alejandro de la Vega!'
He smiled and nodded. "Yes, Jack, when you meet him you'll realize that somehow a champion came from this old workhorse."
"Then, I'll definitely have to meet him, if you consider yourself a workhorse. Adios!"
Alejandro stood watching the coach until it disappeared in the distance. He turned and stopped at the sight of the alcalde and the lancers surrounding him. The look on Mendoza's face told him that he was not about to like what DeSoto was planning.
The alcalde grinned a broad grin. "Meeting with an Americano? Don Alejandro," he tsked. "I would think you would know better."
* * * * *
Felipe ran as fast as his legs would carry him. He was used to running back and forth to the pueblo. He had his little pony to ride, but he enjoyed the feeling of freedom that using his own legs gave him. He was used to the run, and could usually manage the distance without breathing hard. Today was different. He was pushing himself harder than he ever had, feeling every tortured breath sucked into his body.
He stopped in front of Diego, who was again sitting in the library, staring out of the window. It was a usual pose for him anymore. Felipe waited for the man to notice him, but it took him a few moments. His face was blank when he saw the sweaty young boy standing in front of him. "What's wrong, Felipe?"
Catching his breath at last, Felipe sighed as quick he could. "My father? The alcalde is planning to hang my father? For what reason?"
Felipe made motions indicating the rancho to the right of the de la Vega land. "He's accusing him of treason like Don Tores?"
Diego stood there, his hands clenched. Felipe turned from the fireplace to look at his friend. His concern had only grown over the last few weeks. He managed to get Diego to eat the bare minimum each day with a stubbornness that surprised him and Diego, but he still had no clue as to what was bothering the older man. "Should I go as Diego or as Zorro?"
Felipe's jaw dropped. It was a question never asked before, and he worried why it was being done so now. They did not have time to debate the issue. He tugged on the caballero's white shirt, angrily made the sign of the "Z", and pulled the man towards the cave. Don Alejandro was in trouble, and the only person who could save him was Zorro. They would have to work out Diego's problem when he got back from the pueblo.
