"Ramon!" Victoria exclaimed, throwing herself into her cleaned-up and freshly-shaved brother's arms when Diego, who had opened the door, invited him inside.

"Welcome back, Ramon!" Don Alejandro offered him his hand as soon as Victoria let go of him. "We are happy to see you!"

"We most certainly are!" Diego confirmed signaling for his friend to head towards the dining room. "Just in time for dinner!" He remarked.

"I would not have been here at all, were it not for Zorro!" The younger man stated.

"Zorro?" Diego pretended to be confused. "What did he do this time?"

"Saved my skin, that's what. I can understand why you are so fond of him, Sister, although I still wished you hadn't jumped in front of that bullet, even for him. We almost lost you!"

"Well… I don't regret it one bit. In fact, I would do it again, if I had to!" She declared. "Zorro has saved so many people, so many times, risking his own life while doing so! I would have gladly sacrificed mine if that meant he'd continue to help those who need him!"

"But, Victoria, Zorro was gone all the time while you were ill. I doubt he would find the reason to keep riding were his actions to put you in anymore danger, just as I doubt he will ever forgive himself for what you've been through." Diego pointed out.

"But he has nothing to forgive himself for, Diego! He neither shot that bullet, nor put me in its way. It was my decision and I, for one, will never regret being my hero's hero for once!"

Diego smiled lovingly at her just as Felipe came into the room to inform them that the dinner was ready.

ZZZ

"I'll surely miss having Victoria around." Don Alejandro murmured the next morning as Felipe drove the carriage taking the Escalantes back to the pueblo, while the old don and Diego were mounting their horses to follow them.

"So will I, Father!" Diego agreed, pensively looking towards the retreating carriage. "So will I."

"This house needs a woman's touch, Son! You really should consider marrying."

"All at the right time, Father." Diego said with a smile, steering his golden mare towards the pueblo, closely followed by the old don.

ZZZ

The tavern was quite animated that evening, when the De la Vegas came to check on Victoria and have dinner. Ramon had insisted that she take an hour's rest after she had spent several hours on her feet busily cooking. Now that the taproom was full, he was taking orders and helping Pilar serve the tables, just as he had done before he first left Los Angeles.

The two older men smiled and greeted him, and he promised to be with them in a few minutes. Looking around, they noticed Sergeant Mendoza sitting alone at a table.

"Good evening, Sergeant!" Don Alejandro greeted. "May we join you?"

"Si, Don Alejandro, Don Diego!" The man replied.

"Why the long face, Sergeant?" Diego asked at noticing his friend was not in a very good mood.

"Because I will miss the Señorita's food, Don Diego."

"Miss her food? Why? She just returned! Or are you planning to leave Los Angeles?" Don Alejandro wondered.

"No… It's just that I won't have the money to buy food here anymore…"

"Why not?"

"Because the Alcalde said he would cut all our pay by half unless we catch Zorro by the end of the week. Zorro is impossible to catch! So adios tamales, adios enchiladas…"

"I'm sure you needn't be so discouraged, Sergeant! Surely you'll be able to afford at least a few meals here, even with the cut in pay."

"No… I don't think you understand Don Alejandro. At this point, I and every one of my men already owe the Señorita a month's pay on meals and drinks. Each! So far, we had an understanding with her that we would pay at least one week back each Monday, so that we are never more than a month late with the payment. We already leave everything we have at the tavern! If our salaries are cut in half, we won't be able to pay more than half a month. And what about the other two weeks? We will starve!"

"But, Sergeant, if that is so, wouldn't it be wiser if you ate just once a day here, so that your debt would be halved?" Diego pointed out.

"And you can always share the wine or switch to lemonade and make some economies that way, as well." Don Alejandro also contributed.

"Victoria and Pilar do make a wonderful lemonade." Diego agreed.

"I never thought of it that way… I guess I can live with only one meal at the tavern… We will probably be on patrol the rest of the day anyway." Mendoza replied pensively.

"See, Sergeant? No reason to worry so much. There's a solution to every problem. And, for tonight, we'd be more than happy to have you as our guest for your meal. You can start saving the money you owe Victoria."

"Gracias, Don Diego!" Mendoza said with a smile as the tall caballero was gesturing to Ramon to bring them three portions of whatever Victoria had made for dinner.

"But, tell me, Sergeant, what is the reason behind this renewed urgency for capturing Zorro?" Diego inquired casually.

"Well, I can tell you because you are mi amigos… but you must not tell anyone else!" Mendoza uttered, getting a bit closer to the two De la Vegas in an effort to avoid being overheard. "It's because the governor is sending a special investigator to investigate certain… rumors about the Alcalde. He believes it's because of Zorro, but I think it's because of that gambler who caused trouble here a few weeks back. The one who shot Señorita Escalante," he uttered as Ramon placed the plates of arroz con pollo in front of them. The younger man smiled and headed back towards the kitchen.

"Bishop? And why do you think that?" Diego wondered.

"Because it says in the letter he had received that the investigator is coming to check allegations into the support the Alcalde had granted to criminal elements. And we all know he has never supported Zorro!"

"Ha! Support Zorro! I should just go to our esteemed Luis Ramone and inform him that I had sent the letter to the Governor accusing him of misconduct!" Don Alejandro stated proudly.

"I also did that! Send a letter, I mean. But I didn't sign it." Mendoza confessed, leaving the two men in front of him bewildered. "Don't look so surprised, amigos! I was in a bad mood. Being deprived of the Señorita's cooking can do that to a man. Even one as loyal as I!"

"That is perfectly understandable, Sergeant, especially considering everyone knows where your loyalties lie." Diego smiled knowingly. "So, I guess the cut in pay is not helping the Alcalde's case…"

ZZZ

Felipe was carefully studying a pair of odd glasses as Diego came into the cave the following afternoon. The youngster dropped them at hearing his mentor and pretended to be sweeping the floor.

"Come! Let me show you, Felipe!" He said with a smile as he noticed the guilty expression on his ward's face and that the glasses had been moved since he'd last been in the cave. Picking them up he held them to the light. "I have been working on re-designing the colored glass I used to uncover the truth about that man the Alcalde had hired to pose as Zorro. Put them on!"

As he did as instructed, Felipe noticed how Diego's face slightly changed color and, looking towards his hands, he saw faint yellow traces, so he asked about them.

"I believe you might be seeing traces of a special ink I'm also designing to be used with the glasses."

Felipe made a face and Diego chuckled at his reaction. Asking for his glasses back, he put them on and went to take a quill and a sheet of paper. Dipping the quill in a translucent substance he kept in a small bottle, he proceeded to write on the paper, then showed it to Felipe.

The young man took a look, not seeing anything.

"Try now!" His mentor asked, handing him back the glasses.

Felipe put them on and was able to read the message 'Everything that is hidden will become clear' on the same sheet of paper which had previously seemed blank.

"The ink is invisible to the naked eye, but can be clearly seen when using a specific type of colored glasses." Diego stated when the youngster looked at him in wonder. "I believe it might have interesting applications in various fields. For research, when one doesn't want it to fall into the wrong hands, the military, for correspondence, for Victoria's secret recipes,… even Zorro might find a good use for it."

ZZZ

"It was him, I'm sure of it!" A private was telling Mendoza a few days later as he, the Sergeant, Corporal Sepulveda and another lancer sat on the tavern's porch, waiting for their meals.

"But what would Bishop be doing in San Pedro?" This question, posed by Sepulveda drew Ramon's attention. He was bringing their food and halted in the doorway to listen to more of their conversation.

"From what I was told, he managed to win a fortune from Don Alfredo. They say the poor man is now broke and had to hand over even the deed to his hacienda to that gambler."

"That was exactly what happened here to Don Carlos. But what is he doing in San Pedro? That is still the territory of Los Angeles… and Zorro told him he would kill him should he step foot anywhere near the pueblo."

"I guess he thought the port was far enough. And he's not staying. I heard he just got to San Pedro last week with a ship from Monterey. He already booked passage on another ship due to leave for South America the day after tomorrow, so he wants to sell the properties he won from Don Alfredo as soon as possible. They say Don Emiliano Carillo had already offered him ten thousand pesos for them."

A client lightly bumped into Ramon while exiting the tavern, pushing him out onto the terrace, so he put the meals in front of the lancers and returned inside.

Once there, he took a few minutes to think and headed for his room. He took one of his pistols, tucking it in his sash, hidden under his vest, then returned to the busy taproom. There, his eyes instantly fell on Felipe. The young man had just entered with a basket filled with oranges Don Alejandro had sent for Victoria.

"Felipe!" Greeted the youngest Escalante. "Just the man I wanted to see."

The youngster widened his eyes at the unexpected welcome he received. Being called a man, although he was just 16, also served in boosting a little his underdeveloped ego, making him more willing to please his interlocutor.

"I need to run an errand. Would you mind taking my place to help Victoria and Pilar with the lunch crowd? I don't want her overexerting herself, and I hardly trust many young men as much as I trust you. And, of course, I'll make sure you'll be properly compensated for your help."

Felipe gestured that he'd be glad to do it and there was no need for money, but Ramon only understood that he agreed.

"Thank you, Felipe! Keep an eye on Victoria, for me, alright? And, if something happens to me, tell her… Tell her it was my decision."

Alarm bells, just like the ones Diego had, only the previous week, installed in the cave, started ringing in Felipe's mind as the other man left. His instinct told him he had just made a mistake by agreeing to stay in Ramon's place. Wondering where he was going and what the reason behind his actions was, Felipe went to the kitchen to take the oranges and tell Victoria he was replacing her brother for the rest of the early afternoon.

"Where did he go?" The young woman asked. Felipe shrugged his shoulders, indicating he had no idea. "Well… I guess I'll find out when he returns. Meanwhile, he was handling the terrace and the Sergeant asked for a pitcher of lemonade for him and his men. Would you mind taking it and the glasses to them?"

Felipe shook his head and rapidly took the indicated items, exiting the kitchen.

"I doubt Don Alfredo stands a chance" Mendoza was saying as the youngster brought the lancers their drinks. "He was never a good shot. Why would he challenge him?"

"He lost everything to the gambler, Sergeant! They say the man has incredible luck with the cards." The lancer said as Felipe was carefully listening while taking his time pouring the drinks. "And Don Alfredo never wanted Don Emiliano to get his hands on his land. That man is almost as bad as Bishop. I think he'd rather die than live with the consequences of having gambled everything away. So, since Bishop is due to leave San Pedro the day after tomorrow, the duel has been set for tomorrow morning."

Felipe pensively made his way back to the kitchen. Almost certain he knew where Ramon had gone, he pretended to have forgotten something Diego had asked him to do, apologized for leaving promising to return soon, and, a few minutes later, was on his way to the hacienda.

ZZZ

"So Bishop is in San Pedro, up to his usual tricks, and Don Alfredo is going to duel with him tomorrow morning." Diego interpreted as they were both descending the stairs to the cave.

Felipe nodded then restarted gesturing.

"And you believe Ramon is on his way to San Pedro to confront him for having shot Victoria?"

The youngster again confirmed that his message had been well understood.

"Ramon is his own man, and a pretty good shot from what I've seen. However, on this occasion, I believe he might be acting hastily. Actions done in anger often tend to turn against the one committing them." He said pensively.

Felipe drew a Z in the air.

"Yes, Felipe. I think Zorro will need to have a talk with our friend, before he does something we'll all regret."

ZZZ

It was just still an hour to siesta when a black-clad man caught up with a very determined Ramon Escalante.

"Ramon!" He called, and the other man turned back with a startle.

"Zorro! What are you doing here?" He asked as he stopped his horse.

"I know what you are planning, amigo. It is a bad idea."

"How… Never mind… Zorro, he almost killed my sister. He certainly killed Don Carlos, and might have killed Don Alejandro. Now he's doing the same to Don Alfredo. I need to see this through."

"So what is your plan? If you go to the tavern and shoot him, you'll be accused of murder. Is that what you want? For Victoria to witness the execution of yet another member of her family?"

Ramon had not prepared an answer to that. "I'll challenge him to a duel in that case!"

"If you do, he'll get the first shot and you'll never get your chance to fire at him. Bishop will win and Victoria will still lose her brother."

"What will you have me do, then?"

Zorro had thought about it for the entire ride there, and he believed he had the answer.

"Find a way to give Bishop a lesson he will never forget." He replied, puzzling Ramon. "The man's game is poker and poker, as we all know, is a game of chance. Nobody can be as lucky as Bishop at it, unless he is cheating. All we need is to find out how exactly he is doing that, and we can take him for all he's got… and get him arrested in the process. Let the justice system make him pay for his crimes!"

"That sounds like a good plan, but how exactly are we supposed to put it into practice?"

"I've been thinking about that. During his visit to Los Angeles, it struck me as odd that the man wore glasses when he was playing cards but not when he was reading. Neither was he wearing them when he was about to duel with Don Alejandro. Which makes me wonder… Here's what I need you to do…" Zorro said as he proceeded in explaining to the young Escalante his plan.

Ramon returned about an hour later and handed Zorro four cards. The masked man took them and asked him to discretely monitor the tavern in San Pedro, then meet him at the same location at nine in the evening.

ZZZ

"You were right to warn me, Felipe." Diego said as the youngster entered the cave an hour later, just as he was checking the playing cards. "He had no plan, and would have tried to kill Bishop without considering the consequences."

The boy asked what he was doing, and if he managed to dissuade Ramon.

"More or less. Ramon is in San Pedro, keeping an eye on the tavern. It was the only way I could stop him from what he was about to do. Now, I was just trying to see if my intuition was correct, and the man truly is cheating. What did I find out? For one, that my trick with the invisible ink and glasses is not as innovative as I had thought. Take a look!" He asked, handing Felipe a slightly colored glass he kept in his hand. The boy looked through it to the back of the card, which was a five of diamonds and noticed it had the number five and a diamond drawn in every corner, all of which were only visible when looking at them with the slightly reddish, translucent glass. Diego gave him the other three cards, as well, and he noticed he could read on their back what each card had written on the front, but only with the help of the glass.

"This is how he manages to win so easily. He knows the others' cards. What are we going to do? When you deal with a cheater, the easiest way to win is by playing by his rules. So, if Señor Bishop will cheat, so will we!" Diego said with a wicked smile, then took out a similar set of cards, his translucent ink, and started working on another ink able to mimic the properties of the one on the cards. "We just need a little more help… and I believe I know just the right person for it. Meanwhile, if you want to help, start working with the paste wax. We'll need to make quite a few jewels."

ZZZ

At 10:20 in the evening, a well-dressed, black-bearded man walked through the doors of the only tavern in the port of San Pedro, luggage in his hand. He had a large bag of money at his belt, a gold ring on one finger and a beautiful golden watch dangling, partly visible, attached to his vest. His face was mostly hidden behind his beard and a pair of huge glasses, but the absence of wrinkles on both his forehead and around his eyes betrayed him as a young man.

He looked around at the few customers, among which a group of three lancers who, instead of guarding the docks, were spending their time gossiping, wine glasses in hand. After asking for a room and generously paying the innkeeper's youngest son to take his luggage there, he ordered the most expensive bottle of Madeira of the house, then sat at a table.

The tavern owner, Señor Portolla, returned from the kitchen a few minutes later with a bottle and left it on his table.

"You call this Madeira? It barely even reminds one of alcohol!" He told the innkeeper.

"It's the best wine you will find around here, Señor!" The man replied, seemingly offended. "If you do not like it, I will gladly get you some tequila."

"If that's my choice, I'll stick with the wine. But bring another. I doubt I'll even feel this one by the time I finish the bottle!"

Bishop was at the bar, glancing towards the stranger from time to time, while savoring his own glass of tequila. When the new arrival was, as he believed, on his second bottle, he made his way towards him, introducing himself, asking if he could tempt him with a friendly game of poker and pretending to be bored.

"I am Don Emilio Santiago Alonso Garibaldi." The man replied with an air of superiority, refusing to shake the hand Bishop had offered. "And I don't play poker just to play!"

Zorro, who was watching the scene from behind the door of an empty room in the tavern smiled at his perfect rendition of a privileged, drunken man.

"For money, then?" Bishop asked with a hyena smile.

"You don't look like you have money!" The man protested.

"You are mistaken, my friend! You see, I am the current owner of the Ranch Dos Molinas, situated just a mile from here."

"You don't look like a don either!"

"I just recently came into its possession. It is worth over 20,000 pesos."

"That's almost as much as I have!" The man stated enthusiastically. "However, most of my money is in emeralds." He continued, taking out a small velvet bag from his coat and pulling out a large green stone from it. "Easier to carry this way. They are estimated at a little over 20,000 pesos."

"Come, let's play some games, then. I only met poor vaqueros here today, and I am getting quite bored of losing to them."

"You lost to vaqueros? You have no chance against me, in that case!"

"We'll see. Perhaps my luck will change."

"How much do you want to bet?"

"As I said. I have a fortune of 20,000, and I like to gamble."

"Twenty coins, then, for each of us, every one due to represent one thousand pesos?" The man suggested.

"My thoughts exactly!" Bishop replied as they both handed their money and deeds to the tavern owner, who rapidly offered to act as guarantor.

The other people in the taproom started gathering around them when hearing what a fabulous sum was at stake.

"I don't mind doubling my capital!" The fake drunkard uttered with a dumb smile.

"Let's play in that case, my friend!" Bishop decided as he took out a deck of cards and put on a pair of slightly colored glasses.