Alejandro watched his son pace the length of the sala . His own blood pressure was only just returning to normal after the encounter in the pueblo that morning. Clearly, the ride home hadn't been enough to calm his son's nerves.
What a change , he thought to himself. A year ago , I would never have thought Diego capable of a verbal assault, let alone a physical one. The facade he put on when he returned home from Madrid was so convincing, so vexing ! For the past year, Diego had been the one playing foil to his father, trying to get him to solve the pueblo 's problems peacefully, while out riding at night as Zorro, the outlaw. And today, it had been himself attempting to calm his son, to help him keep up his front as a pacifist instead of his alter ego.
But this Senor Avila had gotten to him, Alejandro knew. "Do not blame yourself, son," he tried again. "It was only natural for you to come to my defense." In his mind, he could hear his wife gently berating him for his fiery temper. It had gotten him in trouble on more than one occasion.
And today, it involved my son.
Diego let out a breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. He turned to his father. " Lo siento ," he apologized finally. "I…I don't know. The trouble is, Father, I don't know when to think like Zorro, or when to act like myself." He threw his hands in the air. "I don't know what's expected of me anymore."
"Your dual identities are starting to catch up with you, m'ijo ," Alejandro told him. "It was only a matter of time."
"Were you not the one who kept me from resolving that issue?" Diego fired back. "I seem to recall being held prisoner by you because it was important that Zorro continue," he returned.
Alejandro looked away guiltily. He was not proud of his decisions that day in Monterey, and his body still ached from the altercation he'd had with his own son to keep him from accepting amnesty from the governor. "This was not the outcome I wanted, Diego," he told him honestly. "I did not want this, did not want you to feel this way, to be put in this position."
Diego sighed. "I know. I'm sorry. I know your reasons, and I also know that as long as there are men like Senor Avila, there must be Zorro." He ran a hand down his face. "But I fear that even Zorro may not be able to get us out of this one." He dropped into one of the overstuffed chairs.
Bernardo gestured between the two men, and then clasped his hands together. Diego shook his head. Off his father's questioning look, he explained with a slight chuckle, "He says we are too much alike."
Bernardo nodded.
"He is not wrong," Alejandro agreed with a small smile. "Now. One thing is certain. You cannot fight this man as Diego de la Vega."
Diego thought of the time that Capitan Monastario had all but thrown a sword at him. "I could fight him clumsily," he said. "I have done that before-made it look as if I'm barely scraping by."
Alejandro shook his head. "No. This man is almost better than Monastario. To survive against him, you will have to use the skill of Zorro."
Diego arched an eyebrow. "And risk my identity? Father, half the town will turn out to watch this duel. They know me as a pacifist who barely knows which end of the blade to hold."
"Better to risk that, than to endanger your life," Alejandro said quietly.
Diego dropped his head to his arms in frustration. I knew this would happen one day, he thought. But I did not think it would happen so soon. And what will happen to Zorro…to me?
Bernardo cocked his head to one side, and then tapped Diego on the shoulder. He mimed riding a horse, and pointed to the front gate. Diego and Alejandro looked at each other. Avila's second? they wondered. The two of them followed Bernardo out onto the patio just as the front gate opened and Sergeant Garcia and Corporal Reyes walked in. "You carry these," Garcia told the corporal, thrusting a bundle of fencing equipment at him.
"Sergeant Garcia," Alejandro said. "Corporal. Come in," he said dryly, since they were already well inside.
" Buenas tardes, Don Diego," Garcia said, nodding to him. "Don Alejandro." He looked at Diego. "Could we have a word with you please, Don Diego?"
"Certainly," Diego said, thoroughly confused. He nodded to his father that it was all right, and Alejandro returned the gesture, moving to return back inside.
"Oh, you do not have to leave, Don Alejandro," Garcia said.
Alejandro shook his head. "It is quite all right, Sergeant," he replied. "My son and I were just passing the time of day." He patted Bernardo on the arm, and the two of them made their way back indoors, leaving Diego alone with the two soldiers, and the pile of fencing equipment.
Diego waited, but neither man said anything. "Well, ah, what can I do for you?" he asked them finally.
Garcia blinked. "Nothing, Don Diego!" he said. "We have come to do something for you!"
"Really?" He was genuinely curious.
" Si. We are going to give you the benefit of our expert knowledge in the manly art of dueling!" Garcia proclaimed.
Reyes was blunter. "It won't take long," he said, earning him a glare from Garcia.
Little does he know, Diego thought with a smile, but he was touched by the gesture. Garcia and Reyes were good soldiers, but both were better men and good friends. "Sergeant," he said, "I can't tell you how much I appreciate this. Heaven must have sent you!"
"Oh no, it was our idea," Garcia assured him, earning a laugh from Diego. A genuine one. Heaven knew I needed a good laugh, Diego thought to himself. And it came in the form of our good sergeant.
Garcia handed Diego a fencing mask. "Put this on please, Don Diego. I do not want you to get hurt."
Diego accepted the mask and pretended to study it, turning it over in his hands. "Sergeant?" he said. He held it out in front of him. "Where do I put it?"
"Why, on the head of course, Don Diego," Garcia said, not catching the sparkle in Diego's eyes at all.
Diego's response was to set it atop his head, the mesh sitting on his hair. Reyes grinned, catching Diego's eye. Garcia looked at him and shook his head, but to Diego's eye, the sergeant seemed very concerned at his ineptitude. His concern for my well-being is touching, Diego thought.
"No, Don Diego," Garcia said urgently. "Over the face, like this." He gestured to Corporal Reyes, who complied by putting the other fencing mask on the correct way.
Diego turned it over in his hands some more. "I think," he said carefully, "that I will learn much faster by watching the two of you." Corporal Reyes looks more than ready to show me what dueling looks like, he noted. The smaller man had looked repeatedly irritated by his superior all morning. This ought to be fun.
"An excellent idea, Don Diego!" Garcia said. "I don't know why I didn't think of it!"
"I do," Reyes muttered, and Diego bit his lip to keep from laughing.
Garcia fixed Reyes with a glare. "Shut up and put the mask on," he barked. Reyes complied, and Garcia took the other mask from Diego, putting it on over his face. He turned to Diego. "Would you mind stepping back a little, please?"
Diego held up both hands in acquiescence and took a few steps away from them. "Will you be kind enough to give the signal to start?" Garcia asked. Diego nodded, making a show of removing his handkerchief from his pocket, then dropping it to the cobblestones.
Reyes lashed out, his blade tapping his superior on the chest. Garcia stumbled back in surprise from the quick attack. "Stupid!" he said. "Wait for the signal!"
"He gave the signal!" Reyes pointed out.
Garcia looked at Diego, who shrugged and pointed to the white kerchief on the ground. Garcia's eyes widened, and Reyes came at him again. He was sloppy, Diego noted, and clearly enjoying himself too much as he battled his superior officer all the way across the patio. He backed Garcia into a post, and then disarmed him.
Before Garcia could jump on the poor Corporal, Diego stepped in. In the window, he caught his father and Bernardo, shaking with laughter. "I'd like to thank you both very much," Diego said quickly. He bowed respectfully to Garcia. "Sergeant, you have clearly shown me the mistakes a man should not make."
" Si, Don Diego," he agreed, far too quickly. "That is what I was trying to do. Show you the mistakes a man should not make." He threw his helmet at Corporal Reyes. "Come along, Private Reyes," he said.
"Corporal," Reyes corrected him.
" Private," Garcia growled.
Diego watched the two men leave. Garcia seemed very agitated, and he felt bad about his joke earlier. His father and Bernardo came out to join him. "I have never seen him quite like this," he said. "A few times, when the Capitan would use him for something nefarious against Zorro. He is a terrible actor. He does not want to do something wrong. I genuinely think it bothers him that he was unable to teach me anything."
Bernardo pointed to the gate, mimicked the sergeant's belly and bandolier, and then pointed to Diego. He held a hand over his heart. "Yes, Bernardo. He is looking out for me, in his own way. And I do appreciate it." He sighed, running his fingers through his hair, and looked at his father. "They were a wonderful distraction."
Alejandro placed a hand on his arm. "As will a meal. I know you've not eaten all day. Let us have some supper and leave what will be until later."
