THE RIGHT TURN OF THE ROAD
Chapter 28
It was an unusually quiet day in San Tasco. Nobody was causing trouble in town, and there hadn't been any problems since the army had arrested the bandits who had regularly attacked the postal wagon. All the loot had been found and returned to the rightful owners. Since nobody had complained, Diego supposed that Raymond hadn't tried to keep any of it for himself.
In fact, it was so quiet that it was making him suspicious. His experience told him that it had to be the calm before the storm. He had no idea from which direction trouble would arrive, so he was constantly on edge and a little nervous, expecting the worst.
"Honestly, Diego! What is wrong with you today?" Lolita asked as she whirled around and turned to glare at him.
"What do you mean?"
"You haven't been listening to anything I've said all morning. Just what is on your mind?"
"Nothing, nothing. I'm just a little tired since you pulled me out of bed so early," Diego said.
"This isn't early and you know it."
"What was it that you wanted to talk about?"
"I was just telling you about the casino that was opened a couple of days ago. Can you imagine it? A casino in San Tasco! What insanity," Lolita said with a shake of her head.
"Who knows, maybe it'll bring new people to town," Diego said diplomatically.
"I can't imagine a casino attracting anyone worth knowing. It's just going to be another place for the rich to waste the money they've robbed from the people," Lolita said. She pursed her lips as the pondered something. "Maybe Zorro will attack it and force it to close down."
"If the business is legal, I doubt Zorro can do much."
"It can't be legal," Lolita said. "My father has already lost a fortune there. They must have tricked him somehow."
"Hmm," Diego hummed. He didn't want to say it, but Don Carlos wasn't that difficult to trick. It was more than likely that there was no foul play going on at the casino and that Lolita's father had simply been tempted by promises of quick riches. It wouldn't have been the first time.
However, he knew better than to say that to Lolita. She had been in a very good mood lately and hadn't nagged at him half as much as usual ever since the incident with Emilio. At first Diego had been worried that her feelings had been hurt more than she let on, but such thoughts were quickly forgotten when she smiled at him and brushed her fingers against his when she gave him her shopping basket.
In fact, his moments with Lolita had turned into the most carefree and least stressful time of his life. An atmosphere of doubts had taken over the de la Vega estate; his father looked at him with stern eyes and unspoken accusations. The servants had noticed the bad blood between them and walked on their toes to avoid provoking Alejandro. Diego felt like he was standing before a judge every time he locked eyes with his father, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could take it.
Bernard had changed, too. He didn't openly complain, but Diego could tell he was angry and disappointed with the way he was being excluded from Zorro's adventures. Both Bernard and his father were slowly driving him insane. He was doing this for their sake; it was for their own good. It was so frustrating when he was treated this way in return.
I never realised how much Bernard's company really meant to me, he thought. Bernard hadn't been just a great help as Little Zorro. He had been there when Diego needed to talk. It had made carrying his secret a little lighter.
"Diego, is something wrong?" Lolita asked. "Your thoughts are a mile away from what I'm saying."
"What? Oh, no, everything's fine. I'm just still so tired."
Lolita rolled her eyes. "What am I supposed to do with you?" she muttered. "But never mind. We have more important things to do. Come on."
She slipped her arm under his and started dragging him down the street. Diego was used to her sudden bursts of determination, so he didn't complain and just followed her.
"Where are we going?" he asked.
"To the station. I'm going to make a complaint about this casino," Lolita said.
"Do you think it's going to work? If there really is something fishy going on, the army is probably in on it. They'll never help you," Diego said.
"That's why I'm going to ask Gonzales."
When they arrived at the station, Lolita marched to the door and was ready to knock on it. However, just before she could do it, they both heard loud yelling coming from inside. They turned to look at each other in confusion. It was Lieutenant Placid.
"This us unacceptable! I will not stand back and let something like this happen!" Placid yelled.
"Then what are you going to do? Our orders are clear! We can't -" Serrano argued, but he was cut off before he could finish.
"Orders? You call these orders? I have never felt so ashamed of myself and the Spanish army!" Placid snapped.
"I don't like it either," Serrano said in a frustrated tone. "But we really can't do a thing. These men are bandits. I'm sure the commander knows what he's doing."
"I don't care who these men are and what they've done. Nobody deserves to be executed without a trial," Placid said.
Diego saw Lolita's eyes widen, and he was sure similar shock was visible on his face. Raymond was going to execute the bandits who had robbed the postal wagon? And without a trial? It made no sense. Such drastic measures were usually reserved for rebels who were a threat to Raymond's rule. Every unjust punishment that he delivered was a risk for it might draw the governor general's attention, so Diego couldn't understand why the commander would do this.
"I know," Serrano said, and Diego was surprised by his voice. Behind the the anger, he was sure he could hear regret. His opinion of Serrano had grown steadily more negative. He hadn't thought the man would be bothered by the fate of a group of lowly bandits.
"Then you'll agree that we can't let this happen. I'll talk to Jekyll and Gonzales. Maybe if we all protest, the commander will change his mind," Placid said.
"Count me out of it," Serrano said. It sounded like forcing the words out was a terrible struggle.
"What? You can't be serious!" Placid blurted out. "You just said that -"
"I don't want to oppose the commander. There's no point, and I want to remain on his good side. If it were a different situation, maybe then. But a few bandits aren't worth risking my career," Serrano said.
"They're people, too! They have the same rights as everyone else!" Placid argued.
Diego grabbed Lolita's arm and started pulling her away from the door. Any moment now, either one of the men was going to grow tired of the fight and march out. That last thing they needed was to be caught eavesdropping.
"This is horrible," Lolita said once they were safely away. "Those men are bandits, but even they don't deserve this."
"I know," Diego said. He was already making plans on how to break into the prison and release the men. It wasn't just to save their lives; he also needed to know why it was so important to Raymond to get them out of the way.
"We have to do something," Lolita said, her face glowing with determination.
"What could we do? You heard what Placid said. If even the officers can't do it, we have no chance. Besides, it would be too dangerous," Diego said.
"If only we could get word to Zorro somehow. He would know what to do."
"Maybe he knows already. Zorro always seems to know everything that happens in San Tasco."
"But how could he know? This is classified information. It was pure accident that we happened to hear it," Lolita said.
"I'm sure he has his ways. Don't worry. Zorro has always helped us, hasn't he?" Diego said, hoping that Lolita's faith in her hero wouldn't waver.
"I guess you're right. I wish we had heard when the army is planning to execute the men. Then we could try to do something if Zorro doesn't act fast enough."
"Just wait and see. I'm sure everything will work out."
When Diego arrived home, he went straight to his room, took a book from the shelf and sat down to read – or to pretend that he was doing it. It gave him the opportunity to plan the next night without anyone bothering him.
Or that's how it usually was. This time, he had barely had the time to open the book when his father stormed in without knocking.
"Diego. I need to talk to you," he said sternly.
"Is something wrong?" Diego asked. Maybe his father had heard about the unjust execution, too. Or maybe there were even more problems that needed attention.
"How were the poems you were reading the other day? Did you finish the book while I and the others were working in the fields?" Alejandro asked.
Diego blinked in confusion. "Yes, it was quite enjoyable. I spent the rest of the day reading it in the garden," he replied.
As soon as these words left his mouth, he knew it had been a mistake. His father's eyes darkened, and a deep frown settled on his face.
"You're lying to me again. That day, I went to town with Bernard to pick up some wood I had ordered. When I came back, I sent the men to the fields and decided to stay behind to go through the drawings for the new warehouse," Alejandro said.
Diego felt a chill go through him. This couldn't be good.
"I thought I'd ask you to help me since it's not physical work. Imagine my surprise when I couldn't find you anywhere at home even though you had said you were planning to nap through the day. Where were you really?" Alejandro asked.
"You probably just missed me. I... thought it was hot, so I went to read in the shade of the bushes in the garden," Diego said.
"Don't be ridiculous. I looked everywhere for you. You weren't home the whole day. You only came back for dinner that night," Alejandro said.
Diego gritted his teeth, trying to come up with a good and quick lie. This was the last thing he needed now. He couldn't worry about so many things at once.
"Why, Diego? Why did you lie to me? Where were you?" Alejandro asked.
Diego looked at his father. Alejandro was staring at him with stern eyes, and it nearly broke Diego's hart to see his father so frustrated and worried. He knew he should have said that he had sneaked out to drink or gamble, but he didn't want to hurt his father like that again.
"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you," he said.
"What? Why not?" Alejandro asked. "If you're in trouble, you can tell me about it, no matter what it is. We'll work through it somehow."
"I'm not in trouble. I can't say what's going on, but I promise it's not... I know what I'm doing," Diego said. He nearly bit his tongue when he was about to say that his activities weren't anything that would shame the de la Vega name. His father approved of Zorro, but in case he were ever arrested and sentenced as the outlaw, it would sully the family honour.
"Do you really think an answer like that will satisfy me? I'm your father! I have the right to know!" Alejandro said, force creeping to his voice.
Don Alejandro didn't often grow angry, but when he did, it was like he had become aflame with fury. Diego had dreaded those moments as a child, and even now he found it difficult to meet his father's gaze.
"I'm sorry," was all he said.
Alejandro glared at him, anger written all over his features. After a moment, however, he seemed to realise that he couldn't intimidate Diego into saying anything. At that moment, it was as if all his fury turned into sorrow.
"What could it be that you can't tell your own father?"
"It's nothing that you should worry about. I promise that you'll find out one day," Diego said. Hopefully he would be the one to tell him, and hopefully there wouldn't be bars between them so that his father could punch him if he wanted.
"You can't expect me not to worry or accept it. I know young people like to have secrets. I was like that, too, but this is going too far," Alejandro said.
Diego realised he would have to be blunt about it if he wanted this conversation to ever end. He closed the book with more force than was necessary and slammed it on the table.
"Father, this is not something I can tell you. It's doesn't concern just me. I know you're worried, but I'm asking you to trust me, at least for a while," he said.
Alejandro gritted his teeth, and Diego was certain that he would start yelling again. He braced himself for it, but the old don only let out a sigh.
"This is the first time you stand up to me like a man since your arrival from Spain," he said. "I have been hoping that your temper would come back, but now I can't bring myself to feel happy about it."
"I will explain everything one day, but until that this is all I can say about this."
"Fine," Alejandro said, though it sounded like he had to force the word out. "That's your decision. I don't want this to ruin things between us, so I will accept that for now."
"Thank you, father," Diego said with a sigh of relief. The past few days at home had been torture; he didn't want to imagine what it would have turned into if his father had stopped talking to him altogether or had tried to force the truth out of him. Had it come to a choice between revealing his secret and ruining his relationship with his father... Diego didn't know what he would have done.
"I won't ask where you're going anymore, but you must keep your promise that you won't get into any trouble," Alejandro said.
"I will," Diego said, and that was a promise he intended to keep. Nothing would stop Zorro. He could do what had to be done.
That same night, Diego sneaked out and rode Viento to the barracks. This time, Bernard hadn't asked if he could come, but the boy had been glaring at him the whole time as he had watched Diego put on his costume.
I will talk to him again, Zorro decided. After this mess with the bandits was cleared, he'd try to make Bernard finally understand why it had to be this way.
He stopped Viento a good distance away from the barracks and dismounted the animal. Sneaking into the prison had become a routine, but it wouldn't do to grow overly confident. He told Viento to wait for him there and slipped into the shadows, creeping closer to the wall around the barracks.
It wasn't difficult for him to climb over the wall unnoticed. He didn't encounter anyone on his way to the prison, but he knew that it was there that the trouble would start. There was a soldier guarding the entrance, which was the only way in.
No hard feelings, Zorro thought as he sneaked behind the man and hit him over the head with the handle of his pistol. He caught the man before he collapsed on the ground and dragged him aside where nobody would happen upon him. He tied him up and gagged him in case he woke up – he hadn't hit him that hard, after all.
Now he had to hurry. It wouldn't take long before someone noticed that the guard had disappeared, so Zorro had to be finished with his business well before that.
Zorro ran down the stairs to the cells. He knew exactly which doors to take; he had been imprisoned as Diego on several occasions. He spared a brief moment for the wish that he'd never have to look at the world behind the bars with his costume on, but he banished that thought as soon as he arrived at his destination.
"Hey, what -"
The poor solder downstairs didn't make it further before he met his comrade's fate. Zorro ran past him and stopped when he reached the cell with the four bandits he had helped capture earlier. The men looked just as shocked to see him as the soldier had.
"Zorro! What are you doing here?" one of them asked.
"There isn't much time. Why has the commander decided to execute you? A group of bandits is hardly worth the trouble."
The men exchanged glances, but nobody spoke.
"You don't have much time or options. I'm here to help you, but only if you'll work with me," Zorro said in irritation.
"Alright. We don't have much to lose," the leader of the group said. "The commander hired us to attack the postal wagon regularly. I don't know why, and I didn't ask. He paid us well. He promised that after we were arrested, he would arrange for us to escape and disappear from San Tasco."
"But he went back on his word. It's not the first time Raymond turns on his allies," Zorro said. It was no surprise. Letting the bandits escape would have left them as witnesses, and Raymond couldn't afford that.
This time he'd be faster than the commander. He'd offer these men their lives if they agreed to tell the governor general everything about their deal with Raymond. It alone wasn't enough to get rid of Raymond, but it should make the governor general suspicious enough to keep a closer eye on him.
"We should have known better than to trust him! He and that lieutenant are both disgraceful dogs!" the bandit snarled.
"Wait, what lieutenant? Do you mean -" Zorro started, but he was interrupted when the door was thrown open and someone stepped inside. There was a surprised yell when that someone discovered the unconscious soldier on the floor.
"Lieutenant! Look! I knew something was off!" Gonzales' voice called out.
Zorro turned around just in time to see Placid enter the basement. Gonzales was kneeling by the fallen soldier, but Placid's attention was immediately turned to Zorro.
"What's going on here?" Placid asked.
"You know just as well as I do that these men don't deserve to die without a fair trial," Zorro said. He hoped that he could rely on Placid's sense of justice. Otherwise the situation could get very difficult. The lieutenant was holding his crossbow, and Zorro didn't want to learn how good of a shot he was.
"What I know is that you're under arrest."
"Don't be a fool, Lieutenant! You must realise that what Raymond does is wrong! A man of honour would never send anyone to his death like this."
"That can be," Placid said, "but as a lieutenant I'm bound by my duty. I have to follow orders. Turning my back and letting you not only escape but release prisoners would sully my honour for good."
Zorro swore under his breath. Placid was a little too honourable for his liking.
"Sergeant, you know that I speak the truth. You've known Raymond much longer," he said.
"Um, yes, well..." Gonzales said reluctantly, glancing at Placid.
"You can say all that to the commander after you've been arrested. Don't move," Placid said. He pointed his crossbow at Zorro.
"I'm sorry, but I have no intention of having a word with the commander," Zorro said. He pulled out his whip and struck Placid's crossbow from his hands before he could shoot. The impact made the lieutenant step back in alarm, and Zorro used the moment to his advantage.
"I'll be back for you!" he called out to the bandits as he dashed past Placid and Gonzales and stormed up the stairs.
"After him!" Placid called out.
When Zorro made it outside, he found himself facing a handful of soldiers who had heard the commotion. He pulled out his sword so that he could fight his way through them. As usual, the soldiers didn't offer him much of a challenge, but every second that he had to waste fighting them was too much. More men would arrive soon, and they would have pistols and muskets.
"Don't let him get away!" he heard someone yell when he pushed his way past the soldiers, leaving most of them without a sword in their hands.
"What are you waiting for? Shoot him!" another voice yelled, and this time Zorro recognised it. It was Serrano.
Pain suddenly exploded in his arm, and he stumbled and fell on his knees. One glance to his right showed him that the sleeve of his shirt was already turning red. Zorro gritted his teeth as he saw an arrow poking out of his upper arm. Placid must have picked up his crossbow before coming outside.
"Dammit!" Zorro swore as he touched the tip of the arrow but swiftly pulled away his fingers when the slightest touch made the pain flare up. He didn't have time to remove the arrow now; he would only lose more blood and faint – or worse.
He had to get away. This had gone all wrong.
Zorro got back on his feet. He noticed that there were soldiers positioned at the main gates. He was in no condition to fight them or try to climb over the wall, so his only option was to hide somewhere at the barracks and make everyone think he had already left. Then he'd sneak away once everything had calmed down.
With the sounds of the soldiers yelling accompanying him, he hurried behind a corner and slipped between two crates, pulling his cape over him and hoping that the shadows would hide him until he was ready to flee.
"Oh, no! This can't be happening!"
Little Zorro bit his lip as he watched how Zorro fell from Placid's arrow and stumbled to the ground. The boy's hands were shaking and numb, which nearly made him lose his hold of the wall on which he was balancing.
"I knew it would go like this! He shouldn't have done this alone!" Little Zorro muttered. That stupid Diego! He had been so wrong all along, and now he'd have to pay for it. The army was going to get him, and then he'd be killed. What would Alejandro think? Or Lolita? How could he ever face them again after this?
He gritted his teeth and shook his head. No. It wasn't going to go like that. He'd save Zorro, no matter what it took. It couldn't be just luck that he had decided to follow him on this particular night and not before. He was meant to save him.
That thought gave him the courage and determination to come up with a quick plan. Everyone was chasing Zorro, so nobody would have the time to worry about him. He'd use that chance to create a distraction. Then he'd find Zorro and get him out of there.
Little Zorro whistled for Viento, knowing that the horse had to be somewhere nearby.
"I need you to wait for me here. Zorro needs help," he said once he spotted the animal. He wasn't sure how much Viento could understand, but he hoped that he could at least sense the urgency in his voice.
"And now off to the rescue!" he said and jumped off the wall, landing nimbly on the army's side. A quick look around told him that there was nobody at the prison now. Perfect. He knew exactly what kind of distraction to create.
Little Zorro ran inside the building and down the stairs. Indeed, there was nobody there, except for the bandits in the cell.
"Zorro? Did you get smaller all of a sudden?" one of them asked when they noticed him.
"Shut up; I'm in a hurry," Little Zorro snapped. He eyed the lock on the cell door and wondered how he could get it open. He hadn't brought any supplies with him, and he didn't think a lock like that could be picked.
"I'll be back soon!" he said to the bandits.
"That's what the other one said," one man said as Little Zorro ran up the stairs and back outside.
He needed to find a musket somewhere. That should do the trick.
He climbed back on top of the wall around the barracks and started following it. It didn't take long before he came across a lone soldier who was guarding the entrance to one of the buildings. Little Zorro jumped on the roof and crept closer until he was right above the man. He grabbed one of the roof tiles, counted to three and jumped on the unsuspecting man.
It took one hit to render the man unconscious. Little Zorro winced in sympathy and offered a quick apology before grabbing the soldier's musket and hurrying back to the prison.
"I'm back!" he announced when he made it back to the bandits.
"You're too young to fire a weapon like that. Give it to me," one of the bandits said and reached out through the bars.
Little Zorro retreated a few steps and pulled the musket closer against his chest.
"Not so fast. I'm not stupid. First we'll make a deal," he said.
"We don't make deals with children," the bandit grumbled.
"What choice do we have? And I bet he's more trustworthy than the commander."
"Right, so listen carefully," Little Zorro said. "I'm going to help you escape, but you have to promise that you'll create such a ruckus that the army goes after you. I know where you can get horses."
"What kind of escape is that supposed to be? They'll shoot us if they notice us!" one of the bandits snapped.
"It's too dark. They'd have to be really lucky. And it's still better than sitting here and waiting for someone to take you out to be hanged," Little Zorro said.
"Sure, we'll do it," the leader of the bandits decided right away. He snatched the musket from Little Zorro's hands and told everyone to get as far away from the door as they could.
Little Zorro covered his ears from the bang and turned away so that any splinters wouldn't hit him in the face. He jumped when the musket was fired, and for a moment was sure that his ears would never stop ringing.
He didn't have to ask whether it had worked. The door was already open, and all four bandits had rushed out.
"Thanks for the help," one of them remarked as they pushed past Little Zorro and ran outside.
"Don't forget your promise!" the boy called out after them, but there was no indication that the men were paying any attention to him.
Little Zorro followed the men outside, just in time to see them steal a few horses that were standing on the yard. They were saddled, so the boy supposed a group of soldiers had been about to go on patrol when Zorro had showed up.
It turned out he didn't have to worry about the bandits keeping their promise. They had no choice. There were three soldiers guarding the main gate, so if the men wanted out, they had to let themselves be seen.
Little Zorro wished the bandits success as they took off towards the gate.
"Hey! What – Stop!"
The poor soldiers tried to raise their muskets to shoot, but they were faced with the choice of being trampled and jumping aside without shooting. Like any sane men, they took the second option.
"The bandits have escaped!" they called out.
This quickly got the attention of the others. Little Zorro hid behind a barrel as more men arrived at the front yard – Gonzales, Placid and Serrano among them.
"Everyone after them! We can't let them get away!" Serrano ordered.
"What about Zorro?" Gonzales asked.
"He doesn't matter! We have to capture these men!" Serrano snapped. "Hurry!" he added when nobody moved.
Whatever the reasons for Serrano's urgency were, Little Zorro was grateful for them. In no time, most of the soldiers had ridden out in pursue of the escaped bandits. Now all he had to do was find Zorro.
He kept close to the walls and what few trees there were to remain hidden. He wondered where Zorro could be hiding. Surely not in any of the buildings. That would have been suicide. He wished he had had the sense to bring Figaro with him. The dog would have found Zorro in no time.
"Zorro. Are you here?" he whispered as loud as he had the courage to.
There was no reply. Little Zorro bit his lip. There wasn't much time. He had to come up with something fast.
But of course! Viento was there! The horse would surely find his master.
Encouraged by this idea, Little Zorro ran to the gate, which was now without a single guard. He found that a little odd, but he supposed that all the officers had been so busy going after the bandits that they had forgotten to position someone there.
"Viento, come here!" he called out to the horse. When the animal appeared from the shadows, Little Zorro took the reins and started leading him to the barracks. They didn't make it very far past the gates before the horse suddenly shook his head and pulled so hard the reins that Little Zorro almost lost his grip on them.
"Did you find him?" Little Zorro asked, but he got his answer when Viento trotted to the left.
There was a small warehouse. When Viento made it to a pile of crates by the wall, Little Zorro knew he had found Zorro. It was nearly impossible to spot in the night, but there was someone crouched between the crates.
"Zorro?" he called out, his voice shaking with nervousness. Why hadn't Zorro noticed Viento yet? He wasn't that badly hurt, was he?
The cape shifted, and Zorro peeked out from under it. He looked tired, confused and pale, but Little Zorro was too relieved to see him alive to care.
"What are you doing here?" Zorro asked.
"I'll explain later. We have to get out before everyone comes back!" Little Zorro said.
He grabbed Zorro's arm to help him get up, but immediately let go when Zorro yelped in pain. He lifted his cape to let Little Zorro see the arrow that was poking out of his arm.
The boy swallowed, not knowing what to say.
"It's not that bad," Zorro said with a weak smile. He got on his feet, wincing only a little, and gave Little Zorro a pat to the shoulder with his healthy hand.
Zorro used the crates to climb on Viento's back. In no time, they were riding home. Little Zorro sat behind his friend and tried to ignore the stench of blood that was all over Zorro's shirt. He clenched his eyes shut when he realised how badly this night could have ended.
Diego gritted his teeth to keep from yelping in pain as Bernard did his best to clean the wound on his arm. Removing the arrow had been troublesome, but the wound wasn't as bad as he had thought it would be. It had only struck flesh, so he doubted there would be any lasting damage.
"You aren't exactly being gentle," he pointed out.
"You don't deserve it," Bernard grumbled. He kept his eyes on his work. The frown on his features told Diego all too well how angry his young friend was.
"I guess you're right. I'm sorry."
"You almost got killed, Diego! If I hadn't been there, the army would have caught you!"
"It's wasn't that -"
"Don't try to deny it! You made a mistake," Bernard insisted.
Diego sighed. Bernard was right. And it wasn't just tonight that he had acted like a fool. Bernard had saved his life and shown how competent he could be, that he was mature enough to think and make good decisions at a moment of danger. It had been wrong of him to force him to step aside as Little Zorro.
"I know. You saved me, and I'm very grateful for that," he said.
"Next time you had better be more careful," Bernard said.
"I will. I got a little cocky this time. It would have been better if I had had an accomplice to keep watch while I was talking to the bandits," Diego said.
Bernard looked up in surprise. "You mean -"
"You were right all along. I shouldn't have stopped you from helping me. I wasn't thinking clearly," Diego said. He still thought that it wasn't right that a child had to fight for justice, but Bernard had proven he was mature enough to make the choice himself.
"Finally you get it! But did you have to almost die before I got through to you?" Bernard asked, though his irritation was quickly replaced by relief and joy. Diego couldn't recall when he had last seen Bernard smile like that. He realised he had missed it.
"Don't exaggerate. This is far from lethal," he said.
"But the army would have caught you. And if it hadn't been so dark, Placid could have wounded you badly," Bernard argued.
Diego let out a thoughtful hum. "I think he missed on purpose."
"What? Really?" Bernard asked in surprise.
"I can't say I know him very well, but he doesn't strike me as the kind of man who'd shoot someone in the back. Even a wanted outlaw like Zorro. He just wanted to slow me down," Diego said.
"I'm not so sure," Bernard said. "But even if it's true, this is a bad wound. You won't be able to do much with your arm for a few weeks at least. How will you fight as Zorro, and what will you tell your father and Lolita?"
Diego's good mood darkened somewhat. That very day, he had promised his father that he wouldn't get into trouble. Then he had nearly got himself arrested. Some great son he was.
"Diego, I think you should tell them the truth," Bernard said carefully.
"You know I can't do that," Diego said. It would have made everything a little easier for him, yes. There were times when it was so tempting to tell them everything, but he knew it would have been selfish. It would have made him feel better, but he couldn't burden his father or Lolita with such knowledge.
"I'm sure they would both understand. They'd want to help you. Just like I do," Bernard said.
"It's too dangerous," Diego insisted. That, and he was also afraid. It was no secret that his father and Lolita both admired Zorro, but would they still do that if they knew who he really was? Or would they try to stop him? They would be angry and hurt by his lies. What if they said they couldn't trust him again after that?
Bernard sighed. "You're too stubborn for your own good. When this is all over, I hope you'll remember that I tried to tell you the right thing to do."
"If I don't, I'm sure you'll never let me hear the end of it," Diego said.
"There," Bernard said as he finished tying bandages around Diego's arm. "Now all you have to do is try to come up with an explanation for this. I don't think falling off your horse is going to work this time."
"I'll think of something."
He tried moving his arm and winced at the pain. He would be quite useless as Zorro for a while. Regrettably, that meant he couldn't hunt down the escaped bandits and try to get them to confess everything to the governor general. He had missed a great chance to stop Raymond, and all because of his own carelessness.
Next time he'd be more responsible, he decided. Next time he'd have a friend by his side.