THE RIGHT TURN OF THE ROAD

Chapter 13

Bernard was sitting cross-legged on Diego's bed, watching his friend get ready for a party in town. It was being held in honour of Don Dias, a wealthy merchant who was known for helping the poor and donating large sums to charity. The army was organizing everything, which in Bernard's opinion made the whole event suspicious.

"You're being silly," Diego said. "Not everything the army does is corrupt and evil. Sometimes they deal with honest people."

"I'm not so sure," Bernard said, frowning at Diego's back as he pulled on a clean shirt.

"You know Gonzales is alright even though he's in the army. There are countless officers, merchants and noblemen who are involved with the army and aren't doing anything wrong. You can't start to hate everyone who has connections in the army, or you'll end up hurting many innocent people," Diego said in a patient voice.

Bernard's frown deepened. He knew Diego was right, but he didn't like it. It would have been so much simpler if they could have told their enemies apart from their allies that easily.

"I know," he admitted with a sigh.

"Until Don Dias gives us a reason to suspect him, I'm going to believe that he's exactly what he appears to be. I don't want to lose my ability to trust in people," Diego mused. Once he was pleased with the way he was dressed, he went to his closet and took out another white shirt. Bernard recognised it at once.

"Hey, didn't you just say -" he started, but Diego cut him off.

"It's not because of Dias. There are many wealthy people at the party. I'm just being cautious," Diego said as he slipped the shirt and the other related garments into a large saddlebag.

"Then I'm coming, too!" Bernard said enthusiastically.

"No," Diego said.

"Why not?"

"Because you aren't invited to the party, and I really don't think anything is going to happen. I don't want you to waste the whole evening keeping watch," Diego said.

"I don't mind that! It's fun!" Bernard argued. He glared at Diego and tried to make him change his mind, but there was something oddly determined in his friend's eyes. When Diego came to sit beside him on the bed, Bernard could guess that he had something serious to say.

"Bernard, there's something I should have already discussed with you, but I've been avoiding it. The past two months have been very quiet, so I thought I could wait a little longer, but the recent events with Lieutenant Gabriel reminded me of it again."

"What is it?" Bernard asked in confusion. What had suddenly got to Diego? Everything was fine. In fact, everything was better than in a long time. Now that Gabriel was out of the army, he was no longer a threat and couldn't bully the people. And if this Don Dias turned out to be as honest as he appeared, it was possible he would help everyone in San Tasco in some way.

"I don't want you to help me as Little Zorro as much as before," Diego said.

"What?" Bernard blurted out. "You have to be kidding!"

Diego shook his head. "No, I'm serious. It's too dangerous."

"So what? I can take care of myself! Nothing has happened so far," Bernard argued, staring at his friend with wide eyes. This just couldn't be real. Diego couldn't really be suggesting something like this. They were such a great team. He had even saved Diego's life a couple of times.

"Exactly. So far," Diego said. "All of Zorro's enemies want to kill him and his allies. I can't let you get involved again and risk your life. I could never forgive myself if something happened to you."

"But nothing's going to happen! I'm good at this!" Bernard argued.

"Something unplanned could always happen. Maybe someone has a pistol or a knife you don't notice. Maybe I won't be fast enough to help you some time. It could be the smallest thing."

"You never had a problem with me helping you before! Where did you suddenly get this idea?" Bernard asked, glaring furiously at Diego and feeling an angry flush appear on his face.

"I've been thinking this way ever since Gabriel was shot," Diego said. He sighed and turned his eyes to his hands for a moment before he looked up again and continued, "That was never supposed to happen and I didn't want you to have any part in something like that. I saw how upset it made you, and I decided that I have to do something to protect you."

"But -"

"It's not just your life I'm worried about. I don't want you to witness or cause anyone's death. It's too much for you to handle," Diego went on.

Bernard opened his mouth to snap a furious reply, but Diego was again faster than him.

"Think about it, Bernard. Do you really want to kill someone, even by accident? Not all of our enemies are as bad as Raymond or Gabriel. Most of the soldiers and bandits have friends and family."

Bernard chewed on his lip, suddenly unable to meet Diego's eyes. He hadn't really thought about the consequences of their adventures, only about the fun he was having and the righteousness of their battle. He usually forgot about the men they defeated once they returned home. The only time he could remember feeling sad and guilty was when Gabriel had been shot.

"But I want to help. I can't let you do this alone," he insisted.

"Don't worry about me. I meant to do this alone when I started." Diego was smiling, but Bernard couldn't help but think that there was sadness in his eyes. "It's more than enough that I can share my secret with someone and talk about it."

"If you get hurt, I'm going to be the only one who knows you're Zorro. Your father and Lolita will be so angry with me because I didn't tell them," Bernard pointed out.

"I know, and I'm sorry you have to carry my secret with me. I'd change that if I could."

"Stop it, Diego! I'm not a baby! You don't need to protect me!" Bernard snapped. He clenched his fists in anger at how pitiful Diego was sounding. There was no need for him to feel guilty about anything. "You didn't force me into anything."

"But I should have tried to -" Diego started, but Bernard shook his head to silence him.

"Now it's my time to talk. Maybe I'm just a kid, but you have no right to treat me like this. We've saved each other's lives countless times. We're a good team. Maybe I can't help you all the time and maybe I should be more careful, but I'm not letting you toss me aside like this. There are things I can do as Little Zorro," Bernard said, feeling the words just rush out of him without him having to think about them. He was certain that Diego needed him, not just to help him out with the fights but so that he wouldn't be alone with his battle against injustice.

"You need me, and you can't stop me. I'm doing this," he added.

For a moment, he and Diego just stared at each other, but then the man let a small smile climb on his face. He reached out to ruffle Bernard's hair.

"You're mature for your age," he said, ignoring the boy's loud protests.

"I'm serious!" Bernard said.

"I know," Diego said. "How about we make a deal? I promise that I'll let you help me, but only when I think it's not too dangerous."

"Fine, but if I think you're lying to me, I have the right to act on my own," Bernard said.

"Deal," Diego said. He held out his hand, and Bernard shook it gladly. He was disappointed that he was being pushed aside, but he understood Diego's reasoning. Seeing the relief in his friend's eyes was worth sacrificing a few adventures.

Later that evening, Diego went to Don Dias' party together with his father and Lolita. Don Alejandro kept talking about Dias with enthusiastic eyes and couldn't praise his deeds enough, but Diego immediately noticed the suspicion on Lolita's face. She was always frowning like that when she thought there was something wrong.

"What is it?" he asked.

"It sounds a bit too good to me," Lolita said.

Alejandro chuckled. "Sometimes you just have to trust people," he said. Whatever he or Lolita said next was lost to Diego. The whole exchange sounded too much like that between him and Bernard only an hour earlier. Bernard and Lolita were so alike. He was certain that if Lolita knew the truth about him, she would insist on helping him as well. With her, there would be no reasoning to make her stay home. She was no child. If he told her it was dangerous because she was a woman, she would punch him in the face.

"We've been to lots of parties lately," he remarked.

"There's going to be at least one more when Don Augusto and his son arrive," Alejandro said.

"Was that next week already?" Diego asked.

"How could you forget? We've been talking about it every day," Lolita said.

"I don't know. I guess it just slipped from my mind," Diego said with a chuckle. "In any case, it's great to have some distractions from everything that has been going on."

"Going to a party organized by the army is hardly a fun distraction," Lolita grumbled.

Some time later, they arrived at the mansion where the party was being held. Most of the other guests were already there, so they were able to slip in without too much attention. Alejandro was soon greeted by Ricardo who came to pat him in the back with a wide grin on his face. Diego studied the man's face, recalling the showdown between the rebels and the army. However, he was soon distracted when Lolita grabbed his arm and started pulling him away.

"That's Don Dias," she whispered to his ear and pointed towards a strongly-built man in a purple vest. He was surrounded by a small crowd as he was telling some story. Everyone broke into amused laughter after something he said.

"He seems nice enough," Diego said.

"He's getting a little too well along with the army," Lolita said.

"Well, he can hardly be rude towards the hosts," Diego said. He was about to suggest that they should get something to drink, but then he noticed that he and Lolita weren't the only people keeping an eye on Don Dias.

Standing under a tree, seemingly engaged in a conversation, stood a young couple. The man had striking blond hair and was well built, and the woman was his exact opposite. She appeared slender and graceful, and her short hair was almost as dark as the midnight sky. Though the two looked like they were busy sipping their drinks and discussing something, Diego didn't miss how their eyes regularly darted to Dias' direction.

I had better keep an eye on them, he decided. A powerful man like Don Dias probably had many enemies.

"Diego, what are you looking at?" Lolita asked. Before Diego could explain, she followed his gaze and noticed the couple. A displeased frown appeared on her face as she eyed the woman from head to toe.

"Nothing, I was just lost in thought for a moment," Diego hurried to explain.

"I can see why," Lolita snapped.

"Oh, come on. I was just -"

"I think I saw Lapaz over there. Excuse me," Lolita said. She shoved him aside, and Diego could only scratch his head as he watched her go. He didn't think he'd ever learn to understand her. One moment, she could be the sweetest person in the world, and then suddenly she grew thorns. He wished he could have hurried after her, but when he glanced at the suspicious couple, he saw that they were gone. That was a more pressing matter than Lolita's hurt feelings.

At first he thought he had lost the couple, but then he saw them slip outside through a side door meant for servants. Diego took one look around to make sure nobody was watching him and returned to his father's carriage where he had hidden the saddle bag. One moment later, he was dressed up as Zorro and following a small forest path, making sure to remain hidden behind trees. Only the swish of his cape could have revealed him, but there was nobody to hear it.

Lolita excused herself and left the two women she had been talking to. She scanned the crowd around her, trying to spot Diego among the guests. She felt a little bad about snapping at him like that. There was nothing wrong with him noticing other women at parties. After all, she had been beautiful. That didn't mean he was interested in her. And it didn't matter anyway. Just because they were technically engaged, that didn't meant they were in love with each other.

She frowned as she tried to sort out her confused thoughts. She liked Diego; he was her best friend. She was certain that he would be a good husband and could make some woman happy. She just didn't know if she wanted to be that woman. No matter how kind, friendly and trustworthy he was, she couldn't close her eyes from his weakness and cowardice. Lolita knew she'd never be happy with a man she couldn't respect.

"Then why am I getting so angry over such little things?" she mused out loud. It made no sense, and she hated that she couldn't understand her own feelings.

It didn't look like Diego was anywhere to be found. Lolita was about to turn around and go back to talk to Lapaz, but that was when she noticed Commander Raymond and Don Dias discussing something away from everyone else. Both wore serious expressions on their faces, and something Dias said made Raymond call one of his soldiers to him. He gave the man a few orders, and the soldier immediately rushed to fulfil them.

I wonder what's going on, Lolita thought.

Zorro found what he was looking for in no time. He remained hidden in the shadows and listened to the couple talk.

"It doesn't look like he's doing anything. Maybe we came all this way for nothing," the man was saying.

"It can't be. We know that he's guilty of all those crimes. We just need to find the evidence," the woman replied.

The man sighed in frustration. "I know, Isabella, I know."

"It's because of those damn rebels," Isabella said with a huff. "If they hadn't taken the wheat, we could have proved what kind of man Dias really is."

"You can hardly blame them. The wheat was stolen from the people," her companion pointed out.

Zorro frowned as he listened to the couple talk. It sounded like they knew something about Don Dias. He didn't think he could trust two complete strangers right away, but their words sounded honest and there was no reason for them to lie when they didn't know someone was listening in on them. It made him clench his jaws in frustration; it looked like the legacy of the generous Don Dias had been too good to be true.

The sound of footsteps suddenly caught his attention. His hand flew to his sword, and he scanned the area around him. The sun hadn't quite yet set, but the remaining light couldn't penetrate the thick branches of the trees.

"There they are!" came a shout. Four soldiers appeared from the dim forest and surrounded the couple.

"What's this?" Isabella asked.

"You two are under arrest," the leading soldier replied. He and the others had their swords drawn, and he pointed the tip of his blade at Isabella. She refused to retreat and only stared at the soldier with blazing eyes.

"For what offence?" she demanded to know.

"Don't try to play innocent. We know you two are thieves," the soldier said.

"We aren't thieves. My name is Fernando Herrera and this is my wife Isabella. We haven't stolen anything," Isabella's companion said.

"That's right! You can search us if you want to. We have nothing!" Isabella added.

Zorro decided that this was his moment to interfere. He knew from experience that Raymond's soldiers didn't care whether these people were innocent or not. They would follow their commander's orders without question and believe all the lies he had told them.

He wasn't surprised when the leading soldier gave his companions the order to arrest Fernando and Isabella at once. They advanced at the couple, ignoring that the two didn't even carry any weapons.

"Not so fast!" Zorro said and stepped forward from the shadows.

"Zorro!" the leading soldier blurted out.

"You have no proof against these two. I won't let you arrest them just because of Raymond's whims," Zorro announced.

"Get him!"

"But Claudio, what if -" one of the soldiers started to ask. When Zorro turned his eyes to him, he recognised him as Francia, one of the two solders who had helped Gonzales take down the bandits at the ship.

"Shut up and do as I say! We have to follow the orders!" Pastrana barked. He didn't wait to see what the others were doing and charged at Zorro with his sword drawn back. Zorro took a step back and brought up his blade in defence, blocking the attack and sending Pastrana stumbling backwards.

"What are you waiting for? Get him!" he yelled at his companions.

The other soldiers readied their swords and came to attack Zorro as a group. Their faces betrayed their hesitance, but none of them held back as they aimed to slash and stab at their enemy. There was a clang when Zorro's sword clashed against those of the soldiers. With an agile twist, Zorro forced Francia's sword out of his hand and sent it flying away into the dark forest. He smirked at the soldier, glad that he had been able to remove him from the fight before he was hurt. Francia wasn't as bad as the others.

One of the remaining soldiers drew back his sword and tried to stab Zorro to the side while he was busy blocking an attack from Pastrana. Zorro noticed the movement from the corner of his eye and quickly caught the side of his cape, bringing it before him so that the soldier's sword was pushed through it. Before the attack could hurt him, Zorro pulled his cape aside. The movement made the sword tear a long gash into the fabric, but it also forced the blade off course so that it didn't even scratch him. Not wasting a moment, Zorro turned around and charged at the soldier. The man could only let out a surprised yelp as his sword was knocked from his hand.

It didn't take much longer for Zorro to defeat Pastrana and the remaining soldier. With his hands held up above his head and with Zorro's blade at his throat, Pastrana lost most of his confidence.

"Damn you," he growled.

"You will leave innocent people be and not bother them anymore. Is that clear?" Zorro asked.

"Fine, fine. Just take your blade away."

Zorro retreated one step and gave the soldiers the chance to flee. It was the usual routine for them, and the men quickly turned around and ran off into the dark woods.

"We should get out of here. There might be more soldiers on their way," Zorro said, turning towards Isabella and Fernando.

"Who are you?" Isabella asked.

"They call me Zorro."

"I've heard of you. You're the outlaw who has been giving so much trouble to the army in these parts," Fernando said.

Zorro nodded. "That's right." He noted that both Isabella and Fernando were looking at him with some mistrust in their eyes. He supposed it was normal to feel suspicious about a masked stranger who came to your rescue, but at the same time he couldn't help it that it made him a little wary of these two.

"You have the advantage. I have no idea who you are," Zorro said.

"Don't worry about that. Our business here doesn't concern you," Fernando said.

"I think it does. I see it as my responsibility to protect the people of this area. Your presence here has caught the attention of the army and could lead to trouble," Zorro said.

"We mean no harm to the people. You can take our word for that," Isabella said.

"You expect me to trust you when you won't even tell me why you're here? Are those names you gave to the soldiers even real?" Zorro asked. He couldn't quite stop an annoyed edge from creeping to his voice. He put his sword back into its sheath to appear less threatening.

"What makes you think we can trust you? You're a bandit who is known for resisting the army. How do we know you won't turn on us?" Fernando asked.

"I draw my blade only when there is injustice. If you're afraid of me, I take it that means you aren't much more honest than the officers here," Zorro remarked.

"That's a lot coming from someone who wears a -" Fernando started and advanced one step closer, but Isabella put her hand on his arm and stopped him.

"Calm down," she said. "Both of you," she added and turned her golden eyes to Zorro. The stern look on her face startled him for a moment.

"We're here on an important mission. We mean no harm to anyone in this area. That's all we can tell you," she said.

"Are you here because of Don Dias?"

"Were you spying on us? And you ask us to trust you?" Fernando asked in anger. Isabella tightened her grip on his arm, but Zorro could see anger enter her features as well. Maybe he should have been a little less confrontational.

He raised his palms in a peaceful gesture. "I'm sorry. I thought you looked suspicious, and I had to make sure what you were up to. If your words are true, then it was wrong of me to jump to conclusions," he said.

Isabella pondered his words for a moment before nodding. "And maybe we should show a little more gratitude to the man who just saved us," she said.

Just then, they all heard more running steps and shouts from the distance. Zorro tried to guess how many more soldiers were coming and decided that it was too risky to face all of them alone when he had two unarmed people to protect.

"Quick! We have to get out of here!" he said. He gestured for Isabella and Fernando to follow him and led them away from the path. They rushed into the shadowy forest, taking sharp turns and jumping over fallen trees to get away from the soldiers.

When the sounds of their pursuers could no longer be heard, Zorro stopped and pointed towards north.

"The forest ends in that direction. It will take you to a road leading back to San Tasco," he said. He turned to look Isabella and Fernando with a grave frown on his face. "But it might be dangerous for you to return."

"We aren't afraid," Isabella said.

"That's right. We have a mission to complete," Fernando added.

Zorro recalled what he head heard the two of them say about how they hadn't found any evidence against Don Dias. There were countless questions on the tip of his tongue, but he forced them down. He could guess much from what he had heard, and he wasn't sure if knowing the details would help him at all.

Isabella smirked at the way he was looking at them. "I see you still aren't convinced about us. But tell me, would you take off that mask and show us your face if we asked you?"

Zorro couldn't help but smile. She had a point. He took several steps away from the two and gave them a wave of goodbye.

"I wish you luck. I hope you'll find what you need to bring any evildoers before justice," he said before he disappeared into the dark woods.

Lolita was ready to smack Diego when she finally spotted him in the crowd, holding a glass of wine and talking merrily with the people around him. He looked like he was having the time of his life, and Lolita felt something clench at her heart when she saw him that happy and oblivious to her company. It was like he had completely forgotten that she was at the party, too!

"Diego! Where have you been all this time?" she asked as she marched to him, grabbed his arm and started pulling him away from the others.

"I've been here all the time. Maybe you just missed me," Diego said.

"I've been looking everywhere. I'm sure you weren't here a moment ago," Lolita said, frowning in suspicion. In fact, she hadn't seen that strange woman either. She pressed her lips into a tight line when an unwelcome thought crossed her mind. Would Diego…? No, he wouldn't. Never.

"Yes, well…" Diego said, rubbing the back of his head. His eyes were turned to somewhere behind Lolita, and he suddenly changed the subject. "What's going on here? Why are there so many soldiers here?"

Lolita turned to look. She had noticed the commotion as well a little earlier. "I don't know," she admitted. "I think Raymond sent them to do something, but it looks like it didn't go like they had planned."

Both Raymond and Don Dias looked like they were ready to murder someone. The commander was talking to a dark-haired soldier in a low voice, his face twisted in anger. Lolita couldn't hear what he was saying, but the pitiful expression on the soldier's face gave her a good idea.

"It looks like something is really wrong," she mused.

"Maybe they're about to run out of wine. It's still hot even though the sun has set."

"Don't be stupid. I'm sure it's something sinister. And since Don Dias is with him, it means they're working together," Lolita said. She bit her lip and frowned as she pondered the possibility. She was certain that her hunch about Don Dias was right and the man was a dishonest crook. She wished there was something she could do.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when Diego suddenly pushed a half-full glass into her hands. She turned to look at him in surprise.

"Even if it is something evil, it looks like it failed. Don't worry about it," he said.

"Maybe you're right," Lolita said. Worrying about it wouldn't do her any good. If something was

going to happen, she was sure that Zorro would step in and help them.

The following day, Commander Raymond watched the men who were fulfilling their tasks below him on the yard. He didn't recognise their faces or know their names. Such details were insignificant to him. All that mattered to him was that they followed his orders without question.

He often liked to watch the men through the large windows of his office. Seeing them down there and knowing that everything they were doing was because of his orders filled him with a sense of accomplishment and pride. Even more so, he loved knowing that he had the power to decide the course of everyone life. One word from him and that man mounting his horse would be arrested and executed for some imaginary offence. Or, if he so wanted, he could promote him right now and make him a hero. Nothing was beyond his reach in San Tasco. There were only two unfortunate smudges on his perfect record.

One was Zorro. The mere thought of the masked rebel and all the damage he had caused was enough to make Raymond clench his jaws in anger. It wasn't just financial losses that infuriated him. Even worse was that Zorro brought hope to these simple peasants and made them think they had a right to oppose Raymond's rule. Once he got rid of Zorro one day, hopefully very soon, he would have to put these people back in line and show no mercy.

The other problem was that San Tasco was only a small town. Even in California, his power didn't extend much beyond that. Spain was something akin to a dream, but it was a dream he was more than determined to fulfil. Once he solved his first problem, he would be free to continue increasing his wealth and power until the day he could overthrow the Governor General.

The events of the past two months had been more than bothersome. He had made almost no progress with most of his plans. He grimaced a little as he thought about it. All of it was the fault of one man. Or two, but he was inclined to ignore Zorro's part in all of it. If Gabriel had been more careful, he would have never been shot. And if he hadn't been so stubborn, he wouldn't have lied to him about his state and the wheat would have never been lost.

He was pulled back from his musings when there was a knock on his door. Raymond turned away from the window and forced his face to appear neutral.

"Come in," he said.

The door was opened and Captain Jekyll came in. "You wanted to see me, sir."

"That's right. There are some things we need to discuss."

"Very well."

"Has the matter with the lieutenant been already taken care of?" Raymond asked. He enjoyed seeing how Jekyll briefly glanced to his side in discomfort. That man was an utter bleeding heart and so honest that it made Raymond a little sick. At the same time, it meant that Jekyll would never even think about questioning any of his orders. In the captain's perfect little world, a superior officer could do no wrong.

"His room has been cleared and his things have been sent to his new lodgings," Jekyll said in a stiff voice.

Raymond nodded. "Good." He didn't bother asking where Gabriel was living now. He naturally knew that already since he had a few trusted men keeping an eye on him all the time. It didn't hurt to be careful.

"And how are the men reacting to all of this?" he asked next. There had been some trouble at first when a few men had protested against his decision and thought it was unfair to punish Gabriel so harshly.

"Everything is back to normal. If anyone still disagrees, they are not showing it," Jekyll said. He hesitated for a moment before he added, "The disciplinary methods you ordered worked quite well, sir."

"I'm sure you agree that we can't have men rebelling against their superiors. It's better to uproot such thoughts as soon as they emerge," Raymond said.

"Of course, sir."

"Good. If anyone tries to disobey me again, you know what to do, Captain." Raymond almost smiled at the thought of the flogging the rebellious men had received. They would never dare to question him again. Their comrades, who had all been made to watch, wouldn't dream of it either.

"Of course, sir," Jekyll said again. This time, his tone was hoarse and filled with regret.

"Very well. However, I didn't summon you here because of those matters. As you know, I will have to write to the Governor General about what happened here and inform him of the lieutenant's case. I am also going to request him to appoint a new officer here in Gabriel's place," Raymond said.

"Sir, if I may?" Jekyll said.

"Of course," Raymond said. He could humour this fool for a moment.

"I mean no offence, but I can't help but think that removing the lieutenant from service might have been a little too harsh," Jekyll said.

"I thought we had already had this discussion, Captain," Raymond said sharply.

"I know, sir, but I was hoping that -"

"You were hoping that I was just angry and would change my mind," Raymond finished for him.

Jekyll's shoulders slumped, but he didn't turn his eyes away. "That's right, sir."

"I do not often take back my words. It would give the impression that my orders are hasty," Raymond said. He stared intently at Jekyll and kept his hands clasped behind his back. He had always been short for his age, so his father had taught him how to intimidate people with his eyes. All the other tricks he had learnt by himself. He let his voice turn into velvet as he continued, "I regret the loss of the lieutenant as well. He was a good officer, but I cannot ignore his recent failures or his apparently permanent injury. He served the army faithfully for years. It pains me, but making an exception for him would send a wrong message to the men."

"I understand, sir. Forgive me," Jekyll said.

"It's perfectly alright. I find it good when officers have the courage to voice their opinions."

Jekyll simply nodded. "Was there something else, sir?"

"I still have to write the letters to the Governor General. I will call you back later today so that you can pick a man to deliver them. In the meantime, I want you to keep everything under control here. I have been invited to meet Mr. Kapital in his office."

"I will take care of everything, sir," Jekyll promised. Raymond knew he would. Unlike Gabriel, Jekyll wasn't vain or selfish enough to lie to him. It was a pity Jekyll was so honest that he could never let him in on his plans, but he was useful in other ways. Raymond could only hope that the new officer the Governor General would appoint would be suitable. If not, he would have to find a new angle for most of his operations.

"Good. You're dismissed," he said.

An hour later, Raymond was standing before the massive double doors leading to Kapital's office. A servant – a small, shivering excuse of a man – opened the doors for him and let him in. As he entered, Raymond couldn't help but notice all the luxury. The curtains were of the finest material, the desk and the bookshelves of sturdy and expensive wood and were decorated with elegant carvings. The chairs were upholstered with fabric that had golden embroideries. All of it was a little too magnificent even for his tastes, but he had to admit that the room achieved its purpose. It was impressive.

"Ah, welcome, Commander," the man standing behind the large desk said. He was tall and just as impressive as the office. His grey beard and moustache were neatly trimmed, and he was wearing an expensive, dark blue jacket over a lighter vest.

Raymond let his eyes rest on his surroundings for a while longer before turning to face Kapital. "It's looking good. I'm impressed by how fast you got everything done."

"Efficiency is the most valued quality in our company," Kapital replied. He sat down behind his desk and gestured for Raymond to take a seat. He did so and crossed one leg over the other.

"In that case, I'm sure you don't mind if we move on to business right away," he said.

"Not at all," Kapital said with a chuckle.

"First I must apologize for the absence of Don Dias. I'm sure you would have liked to talk to him, but he was called back to Monterey because of some emergency," Raymond said. They had been unable to find the two mysterious people Dias suspected of spying on him. The merchant had decided to return to his hometown immediately to make sure everything there was fine and nobody could find any evidence against him.

"And I must apologize for missing the party in his honour. I was a little busy with preparing everything here," Kapital said.

"Of course," Raymond said. He kept a pleasant smile on his face, not yet sure how honest he could be with Kapital. He knew the man had no other interests than to make as much money as possible. To achieve that, he needed powerful friends who closed their eyes from his less than honest dealings. Raymond was more than happy to be that friend as long as he benefitted from it as well. Despite that, it would have been foolish to trust Kapital.

"Now that the construction of our headquarters has been finished, the South India Trading Company is ready to properly start our operations here in San Tasco," Kapital announced.

"What do you have in mind?"

"The area has many possibilities. Right now we're particularly interested in the local mining industry."

"It's not much of an industry, I'm afraid," Raymond said with a shake of his head. "There are many mines here, but they're all owned by private people. You would have to purchase all of them if you truly want to benefit from them, and that is going to cost."

"I'm sure we could persuade the owners to lower their prices," Kapital said.

"That might actually present a problem. I recently lost the man I usually send to run such errands," Raymond said. Just his luck, he mused grumpily. Scaring the locals wasn't that difficult as long as Zorro didn't show up. Raymond was sure that Gabriel could have accomplished that just fine, even with his injury.

"I heard about that. It's unfortunate, but I can arrange my own men to do this," Kapital said.

Raymond frowned a little at that. If Kapital was able to handle everything on his own, he wouldn't need the support of the army for long. He didn't want to be cut out from any of the larger operations.

"I am going to write to the Governor General today and request that he appoints a new officer in Gabriel's place. With luck, it shouldn't be difficult to persuade him to see things our way," he said.

"The other officers you have here aren't suitable?" Kapital asked.

"Jekyll and Gonzales? Hardly. They're both honest but fortunately too naïve and stupid to realise what is going on."

"Alright. I trust you have the situation under control."

"Completely."

"In any case, buying all the mines in the area is currently my main objective. I am waiting for my expert to arrive in town. He will tell me which mines are worth my money and what is the best way to... convince the owners that their prices are too high," Kapital said.

Raymond smiled in agreement. "If you need the army's help with that, I will see what I can do. With the situation being what it is, I can't promise anything. Also, I'm sure I don't have to remind you that nobody can find out that you have the army's support. That would lead to a scandal."

"Don't worry, Commander. It's in my interests as well that my company is not associated with the army."

"Then we understand each other perfectly. Are you planning anything else of interest at the moment?" Raymond asked.

"Nothing definite, but I have a few ideas. I'll be sure to let you know if we need the army's help," Kapital said.

Raymond nodded. "I hope I'll have another officer doing my dirty work for me by that time."

He and Kapital spent a few more moments discussing business before they moved on to less important matters. It was almost relaxing to be able to talk to someone who understood the finer things in life and had great ambitions. Raymond considered most people in San Tasco below him. Even the few nobles were only a notch better than the peasants. He had sometimes called Gabriel to him, though not because he considered that brute particularly good company. It was just that even he sometimes grew tired of the constant façade and wanted to be himself for a short while.

"The musicians are the best we could get in London," Kapital said as he described the grand party he was planning to throw to properly introduce his company to the citizens.

"You're putting in too much effort. The people here don't know how to appreciate such things," Raymond remarked.

"I don't care whether they like it or not. What matters is that they see how rich and powerful I am. I want to win their trust and make them think that my company will bring prosperity to this area."

"So, you're using honey instead of vinegar. All the more reason for you to keep your connections to the army a secret," Raymond said with a chuckle.

"Yes, we do seem to have quite different methods."

"But I for one am curious to hear their music. I hope it's as good as you claim," Raymond said. He got up on his feet and made sure his uniform was straight. "I regret that I have to leave so soon, but there are some matters I must look into. I'm sure you understand."

"Of course," Kapital said. "I hope that next time you'll have time to enjoy a glass of wine with me. First class, of course."

"I wouldn't expect anything less," Raymond said, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at his new business partner. There was boasting, and then there was this.

He was still musing on that as Kapital's servant showed him the way out. Everything about the South India Trading Company screamed wealth and competence, but it still remained to be seen whether they were as efficient as they claimed. Raymond certainly hoped so. It was vital for his plans that there was at least a little progress with his operations.

Jekyll kept his eyes glued to the three letters on the desk. One detailed the recent unfortunate developments with Lieutenant Gabriel and included Raymond's suggestion that he should be removed from service at once. The second one was the commander's recommendation that Gabriel should lose his rank immediately. The final letter contained Raymond's request to have a new officer appointed in San Tasco.

Raymond signed all three letters. The scratching of his quill against paper was the only sound in the office. When he was done, he put each letter into an individual envelope which he sealed.

"I want you to give these to a man you deem trustworthy. Send him to take them to the Governor General at once," Raymond said as he handed the three envelopes to Jekyll.

"Yes, sir," Jekyll replied. He saluted and then left the office. Instead of going straight to the yard to find a suitable man, he made a detour to his own office. Once there, he put all three envelopes on his desk and sat down.

He crossed his hands on the desk and stared at the envelopes. They looked identical, but he had watched Raymond so carefully that he knew which letter was in which envelope. For the longest time, he only sat behind his desk and glared at them. He knew what his duty as a servant of the Spanish Crown was, but he couldn't help but think that it was not the same as his duty as a superior officer.

What Raymond was doing was wrong. Jekyll hated to doubt a superior's orders, but it was clear to him that the commander was letting his anger and disappointment cloud his judgement. He agreed that some form of punishment was certainly in order for Gabriel, but this was taking things entirely too far. The lieutenant had done his best to fulfil his duties; he didn't deserve to have his career and life ruined because Raymond was too furious to understand that.

Jekyll didn't know if he wanted to just stand back and watch that happen. And yet, if he followed his instincts and made the wrong decision now, it could mean the end of his career.

Frowning, he stood up and gathered the envelopes into his hands. After one final moment of hesitation, he slipped one of them into his pocket and went outside to give the other two to a soldier he trusted.