NOTE BY THE ACCOUNT HOLDER: THIS STORY IS NOT MINE!
WRITTEN BY KARLA GREGORY
Chapter Seventeen
Zorro made his way silently through the streets of Madrid until he was close to Monastario's house. Needing perspective, he climbed up to the roof of an adjoining house and saw enough soldiers for a garrison posted around Monastario's house. "A little afraid of me, eh Monastario?" Zorro murmured to himself. "As well you should be." Something would have to be done about that. As Zorro watched and pondered, a plan came to him, but he would need the padre's help. He did not want to involve the priest any more than he already had, he was in danger enough. But he could see no other way to be able to get Monastario alone. Zorro made his way back to the safe house.
In the morning, Diego greeted Padre Ramon. The padre inquired as to what he was able to find out. Diego told him of the increased security. He said, "Monastario is very frightened by the notion that I may be lurking about somewhere. There are so many guards that I can not approach him at all. But, Padre, if I could convince Monastario that I am dead, he will no longer feel the need to be surrounded by so many guards. Tell me, what did you do with my clothing? The ones I was wearing when I first fell into your bedroom?"
"Oh!" said Padre Ramon. "I had forgotten them! They are tied up in a bundle stuffed under the mattress of my bed. I never took the time to dispose of them."
"Very well," replied Diego. "Then I will not have to try and duplicate them. That will save some time. Tonight I will go and fetch them plus one of the old study skeletons from the basement of the science building. I seem to remember there were several human skeletons stored down there gathering dust that no one ever looked at. You don't suppose anyone has moved them do you?"
"I have not heard of any renovations since you have been gone," said the padre.
"Good. I have a plan to convince Monastario that I am dead, but I need your help to pull it off," said Diego.
"Of course, my son. Just tell me what you want me to do."
"First, I must make sure that you know the danger you face by helping me. If Monastario has any notion that you are involved with me, you life will be endangered. If you do not wish to accept that, then I will find another way to accomplish the plan," he paused and put his hand on the padre's arm and looked at him sincerely, " I would not want any harm to come to you, Padre."
"My son, I accepted that possibility from the first. If there is anything I can do to help you, I will. I too want to see Monastario brought to justice."
"Gracias, Padre," said Diego smiling. "Then this is what we must do…"
They were busy the rest of the day and into the night. The next morning, Padre Ramon "found" on the bank of the river that ran close to the university, a badly decomposed body. All that remained was the skeleton and some ragged clothing. No one could identify who the body belonged to, so it was sent to the small storage building used for beggar's burials. Here the remains were placed in a cheap coffin to await the meager attentions of a priest before the body was consigned to the beggars graveyard.
By mid-morning, the padre presented himself at the house of Monastario seeking an audience. He was left waiting for over an hour, but finally one of the guards signaled him to come in. Monastario was sitting in his office behind a desk reading some correspondence. He barely acknowledged the presence of the priest. "Yes, what is it that you want," he asked tersely.
Padre Ramon wished that he could still the rapid beating of his heart. To be in the same room with the man who was responsible for Diego's severe injuries was frightening. He took a deep breath and gathered his courage. "I have some news that might be of interest to you, Capitán Monastario. The man that you were seeking at the university four weeks ago has been found . . . (at this, Monastario stood up). He is dead."
"Are you sure it is him?" said Monastario, his eyes boring into the padre's.
"Yes, I am certain, Capitán. If you might remember, I was the one who cried out that night at the university that I had seen a man in a dirty shirt, full of holes and tears, running away. The remains that I found at the river's edge this morning were covered by just such a shirt."
"I must see these remains for myself," stated Monastario forcefully.
"They are being kept at the beggar's graveyard awaiting burial, Capitán," replied the padre.
"You will accompany me there, padre," said Monastario striding out from behind the desk. As he buckled on his sword, he called for the guards to bring his carriage around. Padre Ramon found himself in the unenviable position of sitting across from Monastario for the trip to the storage building. He studied the man while they rode. He could not see any hint of human compassion in the face of the man before him. And those eyes. They were as ice cold as any he had ever seen. He could not bear to look at them long and bowed his head in prayer. It was not long; however, until they were walking into the storage building
"This is the one, Capitán," Padre Ramon said, indicating one of three plain and simple coffins.
Monastario signaled to his two guards, "Open it."
They did so. Inside, they saw the skeleton of a man along with dirty pieces of cloth. Diego's trousers were there and so was his shirt. Monastario's gloved hand reached in and grabbed hold of the shirt and lifted it up so he could see it better. The shirt had been a fine, white shirt once. But now, it was filthy and the remains of soot could be seen. The river water had not washed it all away. Also not washed away were the blood stains of a hundred wounds. Holes were in it everywhere. Monastario made a point of pulling up the left sleeve and examining it closely. Yes, there was a great stain of blood there where he had pierced de la Vega's arm through. There was no doubt, this was de la Vega's clothing and this body . . . these bones . . . were the bones of Zorro. He was really dead! Crushing the shirt in his fists, victory flared in his eyes and a smile, terrible in its intensity, found its way onto his face.
Getting hold of himself, he dropped the shirt and turned to Padre Ramon. His voice was calm and matter of fact when he said, "Yes, this is the man we were pursuing that night. Apparently he tried to swim the river to escape us and met his death."
If Padre Ramon had had any doubts about what kind of man Monastario was, they were gone now. What he had witnessed just now almost left him speechless, but he had a part to play and so he asked, "Will there be anyone to claim the remains, Capitán?"
"No," said Monastario.
"Then may I ask under what name shall we bury him? The burial for the other two and this one will be held tomorrow. We would like to have a name."
"Zorro. Use the name of Zorro," replied Monastario looking back intensely at the coffin.
Padre Ramon bowed to show his acceptance and Monastario, glancing at the remains once more in triumph, swept out the door followed by the guards. When the padre looked back, he saw Diego standing there with a drawn sword. Or was it Diego? Zorro seemed to be in the room also.
"What are you doing here, Diego!" he cried. "It is too dangerous to be so close to Monastario. If he had seen you…!"
"But he did not," interrupted Diego. "I had to know for certain that we were successful. I believe we were." He did not tell Padre Ramon how close he had come to leaping out of his hiding place and having done with Monastario right at the moment his face had shown such exultation over Zorro's "death". But the presence of the priest had stopped him. He would not risk injury or suspicion to fall upon him as being an accomplice. "Now we must see if the rest of the plan comes together. Come, let us go home now and I will observe things for a day or two to see how they go."
He turned to leave, but then turned back to the coffin containing the bones of a stranger. As Padre Ramon watched, he took his sword and carved a "Z" on the coffin lid. "Yes, let this poor soul be buried with the name of Zorro," he said softly. "No matter what he had done in his former life, he deserves to have a name on his marker."