Part three
When de Soto's handkerchief falls down and the trapdoor opens with crash, a groan of horror goes through the crowd. For a moment, that's like eternity, Zorro shakes in the noose. Finally, he ceases moving and hangs limply. The church's bell starts ringing the noon.
Ignacio de Soto winces with disgust seeing what's happening with the convict, and he winces even more at the sight of the sergeant's horror. Clumsy Mendoza, he wanted to spare his friend pain, but lengthened his agony. The alcalde avoids the hole and passes by padre Benitez, who feverishly murmurs a pray and binds a breviary in his trembling hands. He comes to the barrier. There, down, by the stairs, don Alejandro embraces Victoria Escalante and Felipe. The woman and the boy cuddle to him, de Soto sees that the señorita trembles from sobbing. The old caballero keeps his head high, proud, but he has closed eyes. Tears run down his face and his lips move, probably in a pray. Around these three some people kneel, some still stand frozen, staring at the gallows, many of them cry openly.
This sight is pure satisfaction for de Soto, and this makes him merciful, in his own mind. He should see that the body will be buried in an unmarked grave, but this is his moment of triumph, and the awareness of the waiting stagecoach makes him let it go. He has planned to leave this damn pueblo and he is not going to give up. Let the old de la Vega bury his crazy son, let them even make a memorial for this "pueblo defender". Let someone else worry about this rebellious Los Angeles. It is no longer his concern, the time has come for him to leave. Zorro is definitely dead, his body doesn't even sway on the rope anymore. Monterey and the report for the governor won't keep de Soto long. The ship is waiting, and the way back to Madrid is wide open.
So Ignacio de Soto runs down the stairs and hurries to the stagecoach. The coachman slams the door behind him and the alcalde goes away, not looking back at Zorro's body on the gallows, despaired people or the pueblo itself.
X X X
When the dust after the coach's departure falls down and it's clear that de Soto has definitely left Los Angeles, sergeant Mendoza wakes from the numbness of looking at his hung friend. He orders the soldiers to lower their muskets and he waves towards don Alejandro. Along with the elder caballero doctor Hernandez runs up to the gallows, aware of his duty to confirm the convict's death. Together, they cut down Zorro's body. Don Alejandro keeps his son in half sitting position and removes the hood. The sergeant cuts the ropes on his hands. The doctor leaning over them notices with astonishment that Zorro has a calm face and closed eyes, as if he was only sleeping.
Sergeant Mendoza stares at the doctor with fear and some desperate hope, but before Doctor Hernandez has a chance to do anything, don Alejandro reaches his hand to the loop on Zorro's neck and to the doctor's astonishment, sighs in relief. He can't understand his reaction. But after that he sees that the rope the caballero removes, wasn't tightened up but locked to something hidden under Zorro's shirt. Hernandez reaches to the convict's hand in a routine gesture and opens his mouth, shocked. Zorro's sleep is not just an imagination, the doctor feels a weak, but steady pulse. Though it seems incredible, Zorro still lives.
"Ho.. How is..." stutters Doctor Hernandez.
This question and the doctor's expression is enough. Padre Benitez sighs loudly 'Gracias a Dios', and Mendoza gasps in relief. Don Alejandro embraces tightly his son. Without a word, smiling though the tears, the elder caballero unbuttons Zorro's shirt and shows the doctor wide belts hidden under it, that a buckle ties with the knot.
Zorro still seems to be sleeping in an unnatural deep sleep, motionless and indifferent to the touch and voices of the people surrounding him. His head sinks on his father's arm, the breath is disturbingly weak.
"Smelling salts, doctor, quickly," says the caballero, supporting his son.
In the square people mingle with the soldiers. Everyone is waiting in a tense silence. It is clear that something unexpected has happened. Victoria stands by the stairs, still pale and silent, with face in tears, staring at the people leaning over Zorro. Felipe embraces her waist, partly keeping her from running up the stairs, partly supporting her.
When the doctor opens a bottle with salts, Zorro finally starts waking, moaning weakly and clumsily reaching hand to his head. Victoria sway from relief and leans over Felipe, when she sees that her beloved gives some signs that he's alive. The crowd bustles with enthusiasm. The people don't know yet, what had happened, but they understand that somehow their defender came back and lives. So they laugh, cheer, embrace along with the soldiers. Someone starts playing, behind the crowd the children dance happily. On the gallows, padre Benitez wipes his tears, sergeant Mendoza cries openly in joy and relief that he has managed to do his task and saved his friend. Don Alejandro still embraces and rocks his half-conscious son.
Zorro feels bad. His head hurts and he is dizzy, but he realizes that this risky plan has succeeded. Theatrical trick, a gear hidden under the shirt that Felipe had made and gave to him through the sergeant at dawn, a gear to which Mendoza stuck the rope, worked well. It kept his body safe, preventing the loop from tightening. A deep sleep caused by the hood soaked with ether, made him limp and look dead. Now, with his father's and friends' help, Zorro stands up with effort and goes down the gallows' steps. He's still dizzy and nauseous, and the people's shouts and cheers stun him, but when he goes down the stairs, he thinks he sees the gray silhouette one more time, and through the noise he seems to hear the words: "That was brave, you insolent fox. So you won. Be happy with your life. We will see each other again. Sometime."
By the gallows Zorro falls in Victoria's arms. The woman embraces him tightly, laughing and crying at the same time. Her kiss is salty from tears. But for Diego de la Vega, Zorro, it tastes like a kiss from life itself.
The end ?
A/NIt's not the end of the story, there's one more chapter.