Chapter 8: Reports, encounters and consequences
When Diego entered in the office, he was surprised upon discovering Señora Toledano.
"Buenas tardes, Señora." He saluted her by bowing.
"Buenas tardes, Don Diego. How are you?"
"I'm fine, thank you. What about you?"
"I'm fine." She answered by smiling.
"Your husband has hidden your arrival to us." Joked Diego.
"Arturo doesn't speak a lot about his private life, but it's certainly not to talk about my husband that you are here."
"Indeed... I have some formalities to fill in with the sergeant."
"Oh... In this case, I will leave you some room." Said Raquel as she stood up and put down the documents she had in hand.
"What were you reading, if it's not indiscreet?" Asked Diego with curiosity.
"Señora, you should never have read this report. It's confidential." Remarked the sergeant using a tone which claimed to be full of reproach but didn't look like it.
"What is it, Sergeant? You rouse my curiosity." Said Diego more and more intrigued.
"It's 'Zorro's' report... You know, the one that Capitán Monastario read to you the day when..."
"Oh! I see." Smiled Diego bemused. "But tell me, Sergeant, this report seems to me being fuller of substance than in the past."
"That's... You see, Don Diego, after the departure of Capitán Monastario, the machinations of Zorro didn't stop and..."
"And you continued writing reports, is that correct?"
"That's right. I took out the report to the demand of the viceroy and Capitán Toledano."
Don Esteban, I don't mind, but why would Capitán Toledano care about the Fox?
"Señores." Saluted Raquel by moving in the bedroom and getting Diego out of his thoughts.
The sergeant took a seat behind the desk and put away the report in a drawer before taking out a blank sheet, the inkpot and a quill.
"Sit down please." He invited Diego to sit, indicating him a seat in front of him.
Diego quietly obeyed to the sergeant.
...
When Don Alejandro knocked to Doctor Avila's door, this one answered directly. Don Alejandro opened it then and helped Miguel to walk, always supported by Salena. As for Bernardo, he was waiting in the carriage.
"Buenas tardes, Don Alejandro, Señorita. What happened?" Asked Doctor Avila.
"We were attacked by brigands. Miguel was wounded to his leg."
"There are no other victims?"
"No! Fortunately, the lancers arrived quickly."
"Lucky for your son, Señor. I don't know how he managed to stay unharmed." Sustained Miguel.
"As you say, Miguel, he has natural luck." Argued Don Alejandro making smile briefly Doctor Avila.
"Señorita, could you..."
"But of course." She interrupted him by guessing what he was about to say.
Salena went out of the room and went to sit in the waiting room.
...
When Diego finished with the sergeant and just as he was about to go out of the office, the door opened briskly making him step back hurriedly.
"Oh! Don Diego!" Exclaimed the capitán by seeing him.
"Capitán." He saluted him.
The sergeant rose up and stood at attention.
"At ease, Sergeant."
"The report you asked me for is in the first drawer, mi Capitán."
"What is it doing inside? I had taken it out!"
"The sergeant believed it was the best thing to do by putting it away in order to have more space for the formalities concerning the arrest of the brigand." Intervened Diego, before the sergeant had the time to answer.
"I see."
"Capitán, Sergeant." Saluted Diego by bowing.
As he was on the doorstep, Diego froze briefly under the words of the capitán and he couldn't suppress a wince from appearing.
"Don Diego, some more fencing lessons with your father and you could compete with the Fox."
"Fencing lessons? Don Diego?" Repeated the sergeant inanely. "Come now, Capitán, the man who could compete with the Fox is not born yet." He joked then, making find again a smile to Diego.
"You flatter me, Capitán." Answered the young don by turning to the officer before bowing with respect.
"It takes a lot of courage to dare putting his head in the lion's den, don't you think?" Asked the capitán by sizing up the reaction of Diego.
"Courage? I would rather say recklessness." Underlined Diego. "Now, if you permit me, Capitán, Sergeant, I will be late and it's not courteous with a señorita."
"I won't hold you back, Don Diego, and thank you for your involvement."
"No, Capitán, thank you for your intervention."
Toledano smiled while Diego finally went out of the office.
"Sergeant!"
"Si, mi Capitán?"
"Do the preparations go well?" Interrogated Arturo.
"Si, it only remains the part with Don Diego." Affirmed Garcia.
"Very well, you may leave."
Garcia saluted him; however, he stopped before opening the door.
"What's the matter, Sergeant?" Asked Toledano in front of his reaction.
Garcia turned and looked at his superior.
"With all due respect, Capitán, why having said that to Don Diego?"
"Arturo, you're back." Interrupted Raquel.
"Sergeant..."
"Si!"
The words were useless for Garcia which immediately went out of the room.
"You were listening, my dear?" Asked Toledano once the sergeant had closed the door.
"It's only fortuitously that I heard your talk with Don Diego. And I have to admit that I am as much surprised as the sergeant. Do you hide some secrets, my dear?" Asked Raquel with interest.
"The young De la Vega interests me a lot, I admit... He seems to always be in the right place at the right time."
Raquel made a face, a shameful memory in mind.
"What have you, my dear?" Asked Toledano in front of her thoughtful face.
"Oh, nothing particular... However... This case must appear in the sergeant's report." She sighed.
"Explain yourself, please."
"It happened during your absence... With the sergeant, we wanted to trap Zorro and for doing so... We arrested Don Diego De la Vega on presumption that he was himself this outlaw."
"You did what? Exclaimed Toledano, surprised.
"I know, honey, it wasn't clever of me, and I'm not proud of it... The fact is that Zorro freed Don Diego, as expected, but we couldn't catch him."
It must have an explanation. Thought the capitán.
"Was there another prisoner?"
"No... Don Diego was alone... On the other hand, the Fox's horse was inside the cuartel."
"The horse of the Fox?" Toledano said with astonishment.
"Si... Someone with whom I was talking, but which I don't remember the name, made a remark about the friendliness between the young De la Vega and the equidae."
The capitán smiled, both amused and again confident.
"My dear, what would you say about having a cool drink to the tavern? It will change your mind; after all, the journey must have been boring."
"Oh, don't be so sure. I made the acquaintance of two señoritas who came to join their respective fathers."
"Here, in Los Angeles?"
"That's correct."
"Are they someone we know?" Asked Toledano intrigued.
"It's the first time I met Doña Constancia and Doña Leonar. We talked all along."
"About what did you talk?" Questioned the capitán by smiling.
"Oh... You know what it is, darling... The gossip between women... It's often questions about family, friends, legends..."
"Don't beat about the bush, please. Would you be afraid that I may be jealous?" Toledano said ironical.
"I know you, Arturo. However, I think that he won't risk anything."
"Who?"
"Don Diego." Affirmed Raquel.
"Don Diego? Why are you talking about him?"
"He was the main topic's conversation."
"Ah! Do you see that!" Exclaimed the capitán before laughing heartily. "You'll relate me later. Let's go take this cool drink, sweetheart."
Raquel smiled and grabbed the arm, gallantly offered, of her husband.
…
In the tavern, Diego, sitting in a corner, was observing the customers. There was nothing unusual. Then, he noticed the capitán and his wife coming in. He made a nod to salute them that the capitán returned before going to sit some tables away to face Diego.
"Arturo, you're incorrigible." Made remark Raquel by guessing his game.
Leaning on the railing of the first floor after having exited out of one bedroom, the viceroy noticed too the capitán's game. Then Don Alejandro, Bernardo and Salena entered. Diego stood up and made them sign. As soon as they were next to him, Diego proposed a seat to the señorita with a beaming smile.
"Don Diego is in love or I'm not a woman anymore." Asserted Raquel surprising her husband.
"You know, my dear, there's no need to be a woman when we have love in front of us." Said the capitán smiling and making her turning pink.
"How is Miguel?" Asked Diego.
"He's fine, the doctor recommend him some resting days."
"Where is he?" Asked the young De la Vega.
"He didn't want to come." Answered Salena.
"Oh!"
Diego looked at Bernardo and made a nod toward the outside. Bernardo nodded and went out of the tavern, making him jostled by Don Sebastián which was arriving then.
"Be careful where you are going." Grumbled the young don which pertinently knew that Bernardo heard nothing.
Diego looked at him while Bernardo shrugged after having rubbed his creased vest.
"Buenas tardes, Don Diego." He saluted politely.
"Don Sebastián." Answered the young don returning his salute.
"Señorita, it's always a pleasure to see you." He smiled by getting closer to her.
At the moment where he wanted to take her hand to kiss it, Salena backed off and sheltered in Diego's arm who immediately put his arm around her shoulder. The gesture didn't escape Toledano who was observing the scene with attention.
The man fumed silently, making a good impression, at least he attempted, and he tried a comment.
"Well, Señorita, you always jump on the first idiot who passes."
"Señor." Warned the capitán before things got out of hand.
He noticed Diego spurred on by anger and he didn't want, at least today, having to reason with him. In any case the man was in the wrong. Don Sebastián turned to the officer and looked at him a long time while Diego unclenched his strained jaw. Gnashing his teeth at his turn, Don Sebastián turned again to Salena.
"Señorita, please excuse me." He said in spite of himself by bowing before going to sit a little afar.
With a nod, Diego thanked the capitán but doesn't let go of Salena for all that. Don Alejandro, outraged by the action of Don Sébastian, noticed it nonetheless and took benefit of it.
"You should think to marry, both of you." He whispered them with seriousness and sparkling eyes.
Diego and Salena looked at each other, puzzled and red with confusion before taking back some distance between them both, making laugh even more Don Alejandro.
"Father!" Exclaimed Diego trying to take back his composure.
Nonetheless, he was surprised by Salena's reaction who started to laugh, following the example of Don Alejandro. Carried away, Diego joined them as another customer arrived, the head low, his right hand bandaged. He froze slightly by noticing the De la Vegas and Don Sebastián. Taking a good breath, he went closer, with resoluteness and fear, of this latter.
"Don Hernando." Welcomed Don Sebastián with opened arms; however, Diego perceived the irony in his voice and noticed the unease of the newcomer.
"Sit down, come now!"
"Gracias, Señor."
Both men started discussing, beginning with polite formalities, but to the question 'what happened to you?' Diego listened attentively without looking to it.
"I was bit by a coyote." Stuttered the man.
"A coyote, you don't say? Was this coyote given a piece of your mind?"
"No, others arrived and obliged me to run away."
Briefly, Don Sebastián turned his head to the De la Vegas' table.
"They failed as I could note."
"The De la Vegas are a threat." Whispered Hernando so feebly that Diego thought to have imagined it. "Pedro still didn't come back from the hunt, Señor."
"Do you have any good news to announce to me?" Don Sebastián said ironical, gnashing his teeth and clenching his fists with rage and frustration.
"The ens... Othello's ensign was wounded during the battle." Murmured Hernando, half enigmatic while he had the impression that his heart will stop in front of the black look of the young don.
Don Sebastián hit the table suddenly, the glasses shaking, and silence fell in the tavern. Diego frowned and each looked at the young don with curiosity. This one rose up briskly and went out no less vividly, Don Hernando on his steps.
"What got into him?" Don Alejandro questioned.
"I'm afraid of not being able to answer, Father... You were saying?" He repeated while each was resuming their conversations.
The viceroy decided then to go down with his daughter which came to join him.
