Chapter 2
"Ah Victoria, what a pleasant surprise!" Alejandro was truly happy to see the young woman.
"Well, I was a little concerned about Diego. He acted a little strangely yesterday afternoon. I just wanting to make sure he was all right this morning. And you too, of course."
"Strange is not the word for it, Victoria. You would not believe the prank Diego tried to pull on me yesterday evening!" Alejandro called for some tea to be brought into the sala and then settled down for a nice visit with his friend.
"Prank? What kind of prank?"
"You'll enjoy this! Diego tried his best yesterday to convince me he is …" he paused for effect, "…Zorro!"
"Zorro!" Victoria laughed. "Why on earth would Diego—"
Alejandro chuckled. "I don't know, my child. But I have a feeling he's been under a terrific strain lately. You know, I did see him display some amazing prowess with the sword when he fought Gilberto. I think it has something to do with the guilt of holding back on us for all these years. I mean, he obviously has been hiding his true nature and abilities since he came back from Spain. I know I somehow raised a very placid peace-loving young man. But I never thought he'd go so far as to make outrageous claims on the work of others."
"He actually said he is Zorro?"
"Yes!" Alejandro laughed. "It was a good laugh. But you should have seen the lengths he went to. Why, he even claimed there was a secret entrance in the fireplace to Zorro's secret hideout!"
"Oh no! I don't believe it! Diego?"
"Yes, you should have seen him trying to —" Alejandro chuckled but stopped as he turned to see Diego enter the room. "Diego! I was just telling Victoria—"
"Yes, I heard. Well, she might as well know too. But I would appreciate your keeping the volume down. I wouldn't want the servants to know as well." He looked at his father sternly as he gave him the reprimand.
"Oh, it's to be a secret from the servants, is it?" Alejandro winked at Victoria.
"Well, yes. I had only intended to tell you, Father. I was saving the news for Victoria for when we were alone." He shot an apologetic look toward her.
"Ah, yes. If you're Zorro, you will get the girl too! Hmm… maybe there is a method to your madness, eh, Son?"
"Now, Diego, you ought to know it would take more than that to steal me away from Zorro!"
"You don't believe me either?" Diego's shoulders fell. "I really didn't think this was going to be so difficult. Very well. Come with me."
Don Alejandro whispered to Victoria, "Oh, good! This is the part where he tries to get the fireplace to open up or something."
They crossed into the library and Diego approached the fireplace once again and began feeling for the lever that would open the secret panel. He pushed and prodded. The lever was just not there. He bent and looked underneath the mantle and felt the stone all around the spot he knew it to be. He knelt down and reached inside the box of the fireplace, feeling with his hands all around the edges of the back wall where the panel should be.
But nothing gave beneath his fingertips. No door opened.
Diego switched from light prodding and pushing to striking the panel with his hands.
"Last night, Victoria, he took me around to the back of the hacienda to show me the secret outside entrance to 'his cave', you should have seen him jumping up and down trying to get that rocky promontory out there to open up like something out of the Arabian Nights!" A thought occurred to him. "Oh, Son, maybe you didn't say the right words. Shall we go back out there and try 'Open Sesame' or 'Abracadabra'?"
Diego turned around to see his father and Victoria with their hands over their own mouths and almost doubled over in silent laughter.
"Is it that hard to believe that I am Zorro?" Why was he feeling so insulted? Isn't that what he had tried so hard to accomplish all these years? To create an alter ego so different from Zorro that no one would be able to see the truth. Well, he had certainly done his job well! Two of the people he was closest to in all the world were laughing uncontrollably at the very idea of his being Zorro!
"I tell you, I am Zorro! You don't think I would say that just to be amusing?"
"No, Son, of course not." Don Alejandro said as he wiped a tear from one eye. He had been laughing that hard. "I know! Perhaps you could show us the costume?" Alejandro fought to keep a straight face before his son's serious countenance.
"Yes!" Diego brightened at the idea and then his face fell. "Well, no. It is in the cave….and I can't seem to open the panel."
"And the sword?" Victoria asked.
Diego's face was growing more dejected by the minute. "It's in the cave, as well."
"Tornado?" Their voices rang out in unison.
And at the look on Diego's face, they both looked at each other and said, "In the cave."
Alejandro stepped forward and patted his son on the shoulder. "Well, Son, I do believe that your whole argument may depend on us seeing what is behind the fireplace. Would you like us to go get an axe or a hatchet and…"
"No, there's Felipe! I will get him. He will tell you!" Diego started toward Felipe's room, all at once excited at the prospect of finding someone to back up his story. "He has known all along—"
"But Felipe left for Monterey late yesterday. Don't you remember? We had that trip planned for months. I know, with all that's happened, it slipped your mind."
"Monterrey? I don't remember any trip—"
"Oh yes, you were going to let him scope out the cattle auction there." Victoria said. "I remember. He should do well, Don Alejandro. It made him feel so grown up to be allowed to do this."
"Yes, I thought so as well," Don Alejandro said conversationally before turning back to his son.
"But I don't remember--" Diego rubbed his forehead. He was beginning to feel sick. Something was wrong. This was not right. There was a strange feel to this, a dreamlike quality but he couldn't be dreaming, could he?
He pinched himself hard on the forearm and did indeed feel the pain. No, it wasn't' a dream. Still, he couldn't put his finger on it, but he had experienced this same netherworld feeling once before a long time ago.
It had been at Christmastime when he had reached a very low point, feeling that Zorro was accomplishing nothing.
That's it! I know what's happening!
He took a deep breath. Then he lifted his head and, in a very loud voice called out to the very air surrounding him.
"Fernando! Fernando, I know you are here. Show yourself!"
And almost immediately, a short benevolent elf of a man appeared in front of him. He stood there beaming back at Diego with all the good will in the world shining in his face. "Hello again, Diego! It's so good to see you again!"
"It's good to see you too, Fernando. Now what is going on this time? Another test? You really had me going. I was beginning to doubt my own sanity."
"No, no test, Diego. We just couldn't let you do this. Not now. You see, there's a big change coming to the pueblo. And in order for that change to go the right way, Zorro will be needed. And if he's to be effective, he has to stay a secret for now. Even from them." Fernando pointed to Don Alejandro and Victoria who were standing there turned toward each other, smiling and frozen in time.
"What change?" He had Diego's full attention.
Diego had dealt with the strange angel-like man before. When Diego was at his most discouraged, wondering what good Zorro had ever done, Fernando had shown him what life for Los Angeles and its citizens would have been like without him. He had given him the will to continue for the last few years in his fight for justice. He knew the man was magical, even celestial and probably even holy. There was nothing he couldn't affect. His powers were impressive and involved a completely spiritual plane. Diego didn't have a problem with that. His own religious beliefs allowed for it.
"What change?" Diego repeated.
"Oh, you do like to repeat yourself, don't you, Diego? A change in government. A change in citizenship. It will be good after a while. But for the next few months, it will be volatile. You will be needed. By Christmas, it will be over. Then you can hang up your cape and mask forever. You'll marry Victoria. You'll be at peace with your father. They will both know your courage."
Diego released a huge sigh. "I never knew until now how much I wanted that."
"It has been a great burden. A burden you didn't know you were being asked to carry at the time you took it on." Fernando nodded.
"I have missed my father's approval so much." Diego turned to look at the man he respected more than anyone else in the world. "Even when he says he is proud of me, I know he has so many reservations. He has always wanted me to be what Zorro is."
"No, he wanted you to be what Zorro is and what Diego is. He wanted you to be the man you are, the total man you are. Soon, he will know that man. But not just yet!" Fernando said pointedly. " Do you understand?"
"I think so." Diego gave him a sheepish smile. "I am sorry for being so impatient."
"You are forgiven." Fernando waved an arm regally and then grinned. "Now, I suppose you want me to make them both forget?"
"Could you?"
"Yes, but it's a pity. I was rather enjoying the whole affair. You should have seen your face when—"
"Fernando!"
"Very well. Goodbye for now, Diego."
"Goodbye, Fernando." And the elf became a wisp of ethereal smoke in front of Diego's eyes. "For now?" Diego repeated. Silently, Diego thought, "Now why does that feel like a threat?"
A laughing voice and a trill of music came from up above his head. "I heard that!"
"Diego! What are you doing? It doesn't take that long to get more tea, does it?" Alejandro's voice came from the sala.
"Coming, Father!" Diego answered in a very practiced manner.
He looked down at the small table before him and there set a fresh pot of steaming, fragrant tea before him, just waiting for him.
Thanks, Fernando! He picked up the teapot and started toward the sala, but stopped in mid-stride.
Then he walked purposefully over to the fireplace, once more put out a hand and felt for the secret lever. His fingers found it readily and the panel sprung open before him. One more touch from his hand and the door swung close.
Diego smiled and breathed a big sigh of relief. Just checking!
And he heard a faraway peal of laughter in his ears as he turned to rejoin his father and Victoria.
The End
