A Stranger in Town

Ignacio sat at his desk deep in thought. A lancer had taken his belongings to the new hacienda already, but he was not ready to leave his office yet. He had not completely accepted that he had resigned. It had been a rushed decision, and he was not sure he was completely happy with it. He knew it was the best option for him, but it felt strange to just leave.

Sergeant Mendoza brought him a plate of stew and placed it in front of him. He didn't look up at the man for a few moments.

"Alcalde…" He looked up at the soldier, startled by the use of his title.

"I mean, Senor De Soto, I think you should eat something," Mendoza said, indicating the food in front of Ignacio.

"I'm not hungry," he murmured, pushing the plate away slightly. He considered the man for a moment. The sergeant was fidgeting and putting off something. Mendoza was obviously stalling for some reason. His curiosity was sparked. "You seem agitated, Sergeant."

"There is a stranger in town, and he is asking about the Alcalde," Sergeant Mendoza said. "I wasn't sure what to tell him. You said you have resigned, so you aren't the Alcalde anymore."

Ignacio glanced towards the door and shrugged. "I haven't yet heard back from Monterey, Sergeant. Officially my resignation has not been accepted yet. If you want me to deal with this man, I will," he murmured. Mendoza seemed very relieved. Ignacio wondered about the stranger, and rose to his feet.

"Tell him, I will meet him. I have time right now, Sergeant."

"Yes, Alcalde," Mendoza said thankfully. He rushed out of the room, and was back almost immediately.

The man was a stranger. He was average looking, and dressed in a moderate style that suggested moderate means, not a don, but not a peon either. He turned and Ignacio noticed red scars that traced down the left side of his face, three straight lines that ran from near his eye to down to his chin. It made the man look decidedly different, and introduced an element of suspicion in Ignacio's mind.

"What can I do for you?" Ignacio said softly. The man smiled, and his teeth were dirty and chipped as if he had been in many fights during his life. Ignacio stared at his face for a while, trying to place him. He reminded him of an outlaw, someone he couldn't name. Perhaps he was just starting out in the outlaw business and hadn't made a name for himself yet. He seemed a very dangerous man. Other scars covered his face, but none came close to the scar on his left cheek. His nose had been repeatedly broken.

Ignacio was suddenly glad to be leaving the business of running the pueblo. They did attract a lot of strange and angry, dangerous men. He could now leave it to someone else, and live in peace with no more problems other than getting cattle raised and to market.

"I hear that there is an Indian lady in the pueblo," the man said. Chills ran down his back, and Ignacio stared at the man once more.

"There are a lot of Indian women in this pueblo," Ignacio said carefully. "It would be hard to single out one of them."

"I said Indian 'lady'. I'm sure you know what I mean. You are Ignacio de Soto?"

"What if I am?"

"Your Indian lady is a whore and a murderess," the man said. Ignacio bit his lip, and looked away. He would not respond to mere words any more. Responding inappropriately to insults had cost him too much already.

"I insist that you leave my office immediately. I would advise that you leave the pueblo at your earliest convenience," Ignacio said with a frustrated sigh. "Mendoza!"

"Si, mi Alcalde," the sergeant said with a rush of feet and a hurried salute.

"See that this gentleman leaves my office right now, and escort him to the boundary fence of the town," Ignacio ordered, trying not to look at the stranger.

"My name is Enrique Almagro. I know what I am saying, senor. If you will not listen to me, so be it. I have a score to settle with the lady, let her know I am in the territory, if you wish. It will not stop me from catching her again."

"You are mistaken, Senor. My lady is Sarah De Soto, and not the lady you seek. If you offer any physical violence, you will be punished to the full extent of the law," Ignacio replied, and watched with satisfaction as the sergeant obeyed a little more forcefully than he would have.

Ignacio stared after the man for a moment, and then left the office.

In the Tavern, people stopped talking as he entered. He spotted Diego sitting by himself in his usual corner. He hadn't realised before that Diego's normal seat gave him a great view of the whole Tavern and the street immediately in front. Diego had noticed his visitor and the way Enrique Almagro had been dealt with.

"Who was that nasty piece of work, Ignacio?"

"Someone who is threatening my wife," Ignacio replied. "It is her brother in law. She was married once before. Her husband died in a drunken accident, and Enrique Almagro blames her and her Indian identity for it."

"Tell me," he said, taking a deep breath. "Am I allowed to defend my wife's life? I am a little confused with the problems I am bringing on myself, senor."

"There is no need to be stupid, Ignacio." Diego frowned with exasperation and folded his arms resolutely. Ignacio sighed, and glanced away. Diego never responded to emotional outbursts. The man was a living breathing reference book most of the time. At least Zorro had a bit more in common with him than the frowning gentleman in front of him, Ignacio thought - even if he was the same man underneath the black mask.

They sat in silence for a moment.

"Is she alright?"

"She is how she is, senor." Diego sighed. "I waited for an hour to watch how you would treat that man, Ignacio. I left the pueblo believing that you would do nothing extreme, and that the man in your custody would be fined and released, and as soon as the dust cleared you did something very extreme," he said softly. "You knew my plans for the day, and acted accordingly. I thought we were at least allies, Ignacio. I thought the pueblo was safe in your hands."

Ignacio sighed. "Have a tamale," Diego said after a moment. "You look half starved."

Ignacio shook his head.

"What can I do? You are a clever man, Diego. Tell me what I can do to help my wife. I love her and I want to fix these problems I have caused."

"How long will it be before you explode under pressure again?"

"I have resigned from my post, as of a letter I sent the other day," Ignacio said, and almost laughed at the shock in the other man's face.

"She means that much to you, Ignacio?"

"I would die for her. I should live for her, and if this job is making me into a monster, then I need to give it up. A better man than I should run this town," Ignacio said. "I gave them your name as a suggestion."

"Thanks," Diego said, with a sarcastic smirk.

The men stared around the pueblo as if scanning for trouble, Ignacio turning in his seat for a better view.

"There is something you can do. I want you to come to lunch today, and we can all talk together about how to fix things. This change of life style may go very well for you. What do you plan to do?"

"Armand has gifted me land, the small parcel bordering your estate," Ignacio said.

"You are full of surprises today, Alcalde."

"It's large enough to raise a herd of cattle, to provide meat for the troops," Ignacio said softly. "It's not big enough to truly compete against your stock, but Armand was thinking you could assist me in setting up. For Gushing Stream's sake," he added.

"I could," Diego murmured, half to himself. "Sounds interesting."

Ignacio was silent. Diego would take him on as a project, and he would have to endure the man for many weeks, and probably years. It sounded difficult.