Chapter 21: Bad News
He is really a good actor. Monastario smiled in front of Diego's face.
"Forgive my curiosity, but what are you doing dressed like that?" The young De la Vega questioned.
Diversion of the talk... voluntary or not? Enrique thought.
"Do you remember that today, the viceroy must present the political situation to Los Angeles citizens?"
"Yes... My father and Salena went there. I was intending to meet them at the pueblo... The conference should have degenerated?" He asked ingenuous and hiding a wince.
Toledano briefly raised an eyebrow.
"I won't have chosen a better word." He remarked, putting him ill at ease. "A man revolted against the viceroy's words, calling him a traitor to the crown... Then, armed and masked men arrived... But that you already know." Toledano whispered more for himself.
"I beg your pardon?" Diego, who had nonetheless heard, interrogated.
"Forgive me, I was just thinking out loud." Toledano smiled.
The game is tightened between both men. Monastario thought.
"There has been a battle. Zorro arrived and brought to light Don Sebastián's real face." The capitán continued.
"His true face?"
"Si... El Lobo."
"So it is him." Diego affirmed. "What happened then?"
"During the battle, your friend, Señorita De Castillos, was wounded before being abducted."
"Salena!" Diego exclaimed. As he wanted to stand up, he staggered and was caught by Bernardo and the capitán who stood up immediately.
"Easy, Don Diego... According to the doctor, your wound is serious enough..."
"Señorita De Castillos is fine." Monastario intervened. "She is here at the hacienda."
Diego cooled down and sat again on the sofa.
"She is here?" He repeated doubtfully.
"Si... After Zorro's arrival to Los Angeles, the bandits were routed by the citizens who stood up against them. The Fox chased after them and we discovered Señor Monastario on our side of the situation." Toledano pursued.
"What do you mean?" Diego winced.
Like if you didn't know it. Enrique thought.
"He will explain when you are rested... The fact is that we went to the hideout of Don Sebastián where we arrested the bandits and freed their prisoners. According to this man, he would have seriously wounded the Fox with a stab in the back..."
"Oh..." Diego said surprised but hiding well his unease.
Don Sebastián is no man to stay silent about such action... He thought.
"But we didn't see this latter on the scene." Monastario remarked. "On the other hand, Señorita De Castillos got favorable treatment."
It was now the capitán's turn to find himself ill at ease. Diego hid a smile to the memory and asked more explanations...
"You were lucky that she was unconscious." Diego said with humor.
"She was with no doubt, but it didn't prevent her from whispering your name. For sure, she would have preferred finding herself in your arms." Toledano asserted.
Diego cleared his throat and felt himself reddening.
"I presume that, at the time being, the bandits are behind bars." Diego supposed.
"Exactly." If everything went well for Sergeant Garcia. "Something puzzles me nevertheless... Señor Monastario, how did you know that Diego needed help?"
Diego gulped and saw Monastario blanching slightly.
Capitán Toledano is really cunning. Rather than hunting the Fox, he tries to flush out his best enemy. He must be suspicious about the truth. Diego remarked silently.
"How I..." The former capitán stammered, caught unawares.
"But I didn't know anything... When I left you some time before, I just came to see a silhouette walking with difficulty. I was totally unaware of who it was." He explained with more firmness.
To these words, Diego remembered the sequence of events.
"You always speak with such authority to the people you help?" He asked by smiling.
"Do you want to go back under the rain, De la Vega?" Monastario asked harshly.
"No, gracias. I think that you and I have had our share... Thank you for your intervention and forgive my rudeness. I didn't want to hurt you with my remark."
"For having had our share, we have had indeed. You didn't find better than to collapse under the rain in your patio... Fortunately, your manservant saw us."
By the way, was he waiting for him? Monastario wondered.
"One thing is certain, for someone deaf and dumb, your manservant knows how to be understood." Toledano underlined.
"Yes. Bernardo has a gift for that." Diego asserted with a smile before wincing.
The pain in his shoulder was throbbing and was becoming hardly bearable.
"Diego."
To the sound of this voice, each man, except for Bernardo, rose up his head and turned.
Salena. As good as he could, Diego stood up while Salena rushed at him, all tiredness forgotten.
Isabella, next to Don Alejandro, asked him:
"What does Diego want to say?"
"About what?" The old don interrogated, as he didn't know what she was alluding to.
"About Salena. He told me, I quote: I think my father is right."
"I think we have the answer under our eyes." Alejandro answered with a cheerful tone.
Surprised, Isabella turned to her friend who was tenderly and lovingly kissing Señorita De Castillos.
"Oh..."
What a way to behave. Monastario thought with a smile.
Well, well... Toledano averted his face, slightly embarrassed.
"Diego." Salena whispered, snuggling up to him.
"Everything is fine, Salena, everything is fine." He said, giving her back her embrace.
The charm was over when someone suddenly knocked at the door.
"Come in." Alejandro answered as Diego took back his place on the sofa, Salena at his side.
Isabella and little Diego went back next to Uncle Monastario. In the meantime, Don Alejandro opened the library's door and the main door opened slowly.
"Señor De la Vega? Is there a problem?" Hernando interrogated.
"Diego regained consciousness and the thunderstorm has ceased."
"Already!" The doctor exclaimed. "Your son is more enduring than it seems."
In the doorway of the hacienda, the sergeant took off his hat, visibly ill at ease and entered before closing the door behind him.
"Sergeant Garcia?" Toledano astonished.
"Well, Sergeant Garcia, what a serious face you made." Diego remarked by losing his smile. Something was wrong, but what?
"What is happening?" Monastario asked with gravity.
The sergeant fiddled with his hat, not knowing where to begin while Hernando and Lucinda came out from the library.
"Well, it's that... Don Sebastián has escaped." He stammered.
"What did you say?" Toledano exclaimed as he stood up.
"Baboso!" Monastario let slip by imitating him.
"Uncle Rique." Isabella said offended, both hands on little Diego's ears who was laughing.
"Explain yourself, Sergeant." Diego said as calmly as possible.
"We were on our way when the thunderstorm fell on us. Around a ravine, Don Sebastián fell down, sweeping along with him three men. It was so dark that we couldn't see the bodies. So, we ended to lead the other bandits to the prison. Then, I went back on the scene of the accident with other lancers. We found the corpses of the three bandits, but..."
"Not the one of Don Sebastián." The young De la Vega finished.
"That's correct, Don Diego... I ordered to the lancers to repatriate the brigand's bodies to the pueblo, and then I came straight away to inform you."
"Where are the governor and the viceroy?" Toledano inquired.
"When I left, they were in the commandante's quarter and were waiting for Don Donatio."
"Even alone, Don Sebastián remains a threat." Diego brought up.
"Son, you should go and lie down in your bedroom." Don Alejandro advised.
"Father, I can't remain lying down quietly."
"In your actual state, Don Diego, you won't be able to do anything." Toledano underlined, not so surprised by the young don's attitude.
"Diego... Your wound is deep, believe me... You lost so much blood, you have to rest." Salena argued by grabbing his left hand.
"I don't..." Diego was suddenly interrupted by Salena who kissed him tenderly.
Good argumentation from the señorita. Monastario had fun thinking as he smiled.
"Salena." Diego whispered, surprised.
"Por favor, amor mio."
For an answer, Diego smiled and kissed her hand.
"I will rest, it's agreed." He said, looking Salena straight in her eyes.
"Gracias."
"Señores, duty calls, I must return to Los Angeles." Toledano asserted. "Be sure I will keep you informed about the situation's evolution."
