The day of Victoria's wedding dawned hot and clear, and Diego spent the morning trying to convince himself that he could actually play at her wedding, alternately angry at his father for even volunteering him and angry at himself for having gotten into such a predicament in the first place. After all, if he hadn't created Zorro, none of this would have been happening- not losing Victoria, not being only a casual friend of hers, not having to play the piano for her wedding to someone else. Felipe sensed all too well his distress, but there was no comfort he could offer. Diego just wanted to be alone.
The ceremony was not scheduled until early evening, and Diego found the hours creeping by with agonizing slowness. At that point all he wanted was to get it over with. For some time he sat in the cool silence of Zorro's cave, sagged in his chair, staring at nothing, trying vainly to convince himself he would eventually get over her.
Suddenly Felipe burst into the room at a run, panting as if he had run a long way.
"What is it?" Diego demanded.
Frantically the youth motioned what he knew, and painstakingly De la Vega translated.
"The children from the orphanage... kidnapped?" His heart lurched. "Held for ransom? And the padre is with them. When?"
Felipe motioned urgently, trying not to get ahead of Diego's understanding.
"Two hours ago... they were out... on a picnic? What are the demands?"
The young man's hand signals were not sophisticated, yet he managed to convey what Diego needed to know. "By two o'clock... twenty thousand pesos!? And Zorro! Why?"
Felipe shrugged; he did not know. Then he motioned a large "Z" in the air, his eyes conveying his question. Diego shook his head.
"No... not yet. Let's ride in to town… I want to see what is happening. From whom are they demanding the money?"
Felipe shrugged again, signing his guess that the kidnappers were demanding the money from the whole pueblo.
"I don't think there is that much money in the entire pueblo, much less the bank," Diego growled. "Come on."
When the two men rode into town a few minutes later, they found the entire pueblo in a state of panic. Several caballeros were gathering as much money as they could, having donated large sums themselves, but it was rapidly becoming apparent that they would come nowhere near the actual amount demanded. Hard cash was not a readily available item in a poor pueblo such as Los Angeles, especially in such huge amounts.
From what Diego understood, the hostage-takers demanded that the alcalde himself bring the ransom money and Zorro, of course alone. The young caballero decided to have a talk with Ignacio DeSoto to see what his plans were. The alcalde was in his office and frowned at Diego when he and Felipe admitted themselves.
"What are you going to do about the kidnappers' demands to turn over Zorro?" Diego asked without preamble.
"Pray that Zorro is man enough to show himself," DeSoto snapped sarcastically in reply. "What else can I do?"
"You could offer him a truce..."
"What for?" the alcalde replied irritably. "Undoubtedly the kidnappers want to kill him, and personally I hope they do. I sincerely doubt he will surrender himself for a wagon full of innocent children."
"Zorro is not so despicable as you would make him, alcalde," Diego replied. "I have heard the kidnappers threaten to kill all the children at two if their demands are not met. What contingency plans do you have if the money or Zorro is not there?"
"I will not discuss my plans with you, De la Vega. While I would dearly love to see Zorro killed by those men, I have little hope he will surrender to them. You may rest assured I will do everything in my power to protect those children when he does not show." He turned his attention to some papers on his desk, effectively ending the conversation.
Outside, Diego pulled Felipe into the middle of the plaza for privacy and said, "DeSoto is up to something... I wonder if he wouldn't try to thwart Zorro anyway just so he can have the pleasure of killing him."
Felipe motioned something, but Diego shook his head. "I don't think I will risk it just yet. I think I will watch the alcalde when he rides out there. Even if Zorro were to appear, I do not think we will have the twenty thousand pesos. So to go as Zorro would mean suicide either way."
The young man signaled his worry that the children were in grave danger. "Si, amigo," Diego replied with equal worry, "but Zorro's death will not save them."
Felipe signed again.
"Si. It is a very bad situation."