My thanks to PamZ. Her transcripts contribute significantly to the creation of this story.
Every word you recognize from the series isn't mine.
Chapter 3
The following morning at breakfast, the conversation rapidly turned back to the mysterious man who had called himself el Zorro.
At this, Don Alejandro had reconsidered and questioned the mysterious man's intentions. "Why would a complete stranger care about our pueblo? I would like to know who he is and what his intentions are." He spoke to the others.
Diego was peeling an orange. He had been listening to his father and Victoria. Both questioned Zorro's doings. And both were also hopeful that Zorro would reappear. He remarked casually. "Maybe it's someone from elsewhere of the territory who had it with the alcalde and his terror,"
Victoria interrupted him. "Because of something as simple as our arrest? It happens almost daily that the alcalde puts someone innocent behind bars. Where was this el Zorro when..., when...,"
Victoria's voice faltered. Her remark reminded Don Alejandro and Felipe of something they would rather not get reminded to.
Felipe bowed his head and stared sadly at the table.
"What happened?" Diego asked.
Don Alejandro began to speak emotionally. "Pedro Gonzalez. His daughter was seriously ill. The child had a snake bite. Doctor Hernandez was able to help the girl, but because of the doctor's bill, Pedro could not pay his taxes that month. Nevertheless, Ramon sent Mendoza to the farm to claim the money. When Pedro told him he did not have the money but would pay later, Ramon went to the farm to arrest the man. Pedro's hands were tied on a rope to the saddle knob of the alcalde's horse, forcing him to walk to Los Angeles. He had to set an example, was what he said."
Diego got a foul taste in his mouth. He was beginning to suspect how this story could end.
Victoria put her hand over the don's fist and took over the story as his father could barely get words out of his mouth.
"Pedro tripped and tipped over. You can't work with a broken leg, so the tax debt only increased.
Doctor Hernandez tried to help by returning the money, and the church offered to help. But in the end, Pedro had to sell all his goods and property to the alcalde for a hundred pesos."
"That was outrageous. Only the land is worth six times as much." Don Alejandro added as he pounded his fist on the table, ignoring Victoria's attempts to comfort him.
"I tried to buy the farm of Ramon. He laughed straight at my face and peremptorily refused." His father was now furiously pointing his finger in the air. "While it was his fault in the first place that Pedro broke his leg. And that for a lousy six pesos."
Victoria sounded calmer than his father when she told Diego what happened next. "The family eventually left for San Francisco, hoping for better luck. Many people gave them some goods. Otherwise, Pedro and his family would leave with nothing but the clothes they were wearing."
"Is that so?" Diego asked, squeezing his eyes together.
Victoria said. "And they are not the only ones. Several families who managed just fine until the arrival of that ..., that ..., evil man. They had no other option but to leave with even less than what they came to Los Angeles. "
Deep in thought, Diego took a sip of coffee. It seemed he needed to adjust his plans regarding Zorro.
Victoria continued with her account.
"Since then, Doctor Hernandez has agreed to accept things like chickens, fruit and vegetables as payment. But what should an unmarried man do with twenty chickens and getting new ones every week? That's why I buy all the eggs and chickens he brings me. Last week, he arrived with a large amount of carrots. People give what they can spare and do their best. But the doctor also needs money to live and buy medicine. And he hardly has any because he sells his services for onions, potatoes or something."
.
Diego and Felipe are in the cave next to a big black horse.
"Yes, we were definitely lucky. A stallion like this is rare. It's a majestic, intelligent animal." Diego stroked the nose of the animal they had found and managed to catch. "Did Manuel find the foal?"
Felipe nodded. They had left the foal close enough to the hacienda in the hope that Manuel would think it had strayed from its herd.
"Do you think he feels the task that awaits him? Does he want to be part of it?"
Felipe is busy brushing. Every stroke Felipe makes over this animal's fur the black hair begins to shine more. Felipe nods to Diego, who admires the horse.
"What do you think we should name him?" asked Diego.
Felipe looks at Diego and then at the stallion. He uses the hand with which he holds the brush to make a spiralling motion.
Diego notices the hand gestures Felipe is trying to make clear to his companions on the horse.
"He does indeed run like the wind."
Felipe shakes his head and repeats the spiralling motion while blowing air from his mouth.
"And he appears out of nowhere like a sudden storm." Diego did not yet understand what Felipe was doing. It was clear he had an idea for a name. Patiently, Diego watched as Felipe shook his head and made another gesture.
This time a movement that spiralled downwards, more exaggeratedly, also blowing air. Then Diego suddenly knew.
"Toronado."
Felipe nodded, an excited expression on his face.
"Yes, Toronado. We should call him Toronado. Very good."
Diego looks at the horse again.
"Toronado. How do you like your new name, boy?"
Toronado bows his head and snorts. Diego smiles as he looks at Felipe.
"I think he likes it."
.
Meanwhile, without Diego and Felipe noticing, don Alejandro has had some company in the library. Alcalde Ramon has come to the hacienda with some lancers to re-arrest the don. Two lancers restrain the don. Don Alejandro furious shouts at the alcalde as he tries to wriggle free.
"Do you have a warrant for this outrage!"
Ramon grins angrily and points in the don's direction.
"The only warrant you will see is the one for your execution tomorrow morning."
"Execution! Resisting your tyranny is not a crime!"
Don Alejandro's shout caught the attention of Diego and Felipe in the cave. Diego rushes to the peephole to see what is happening on the other side of the thick wall.
Diego looks through the peephole and sees Ramon, and hears him say.
"No, but breaking out of prison is a capital crime, señor. One for which you and the peasants who participated will hang tomorrow. Take him away."
The two soldiers led don Alejandro out of the hacienda. Ramon sits smugly for a moment before getting up and following them.
Diego is furious at the sight of this injustice. He slaps his hand on the wall of the cave.
"They are arresting my father!"
He turns around so quickly that Felipe jumps back and puts his arms in front of him for protection.
Diego shouts angrily. "Someone has to stop the Alcalde!"
Felipe nods and draws the letter 'Z' in the air with his finger.
Diego starts to nod as he calms down. Felipe is right. There is only one person who can stop the alcalde. Determined to free his father, he says.
"El Zorro."
.
Ramon opens the door of his office and enters. Behind him, don Alejandro gets pushed in by two lancers holding his arms.
On his way from the hacienda to the pueblo, the don has loudly voiced his disapproval, and now that the alcalde can no longer pretend not to hear him, the don begins his tirade again.
"This is a travesty of justice!"
Ramon sits on the edge of his desk and wipes a speck of imaginary dust from his clothes. He has triumphed. Finally, he has the pueblo's biggest troublemaker at the point where he wants him to be. That is at his mercy.
"I was appointed by the governor and trusted the hard task of maintaining order in this pueblo. Is it my fault that certain rebellious groups have to get suppressed?"
With clenched jaws, Alejandro says. "There is no rebellion in Los Angeles, and you know it."
Ramon ventures to doubt this. Indeed, no one dares to stand up to him directly. Yet he is not blind to increasingly loud protests and higher-running emotions. It is high time to quell such noises. And how better than setting an example and eliminating his most obvious opponent?
"You have been like a pearl in my oyster ever since the day of my arrival, de la Vega. Perhaps it is time I removed the source of that irritation."
Don Alejandro spits out his words.
"You'll never get away with this!"
"Oh yes, and who's going to stop me? That masked bandit who helped you escape? Do you believe anyone would dare confront me directly?"
Challenging and as confidently as possible, don Alejandro says.
"You never know, do you?"
The man is right. This Zorro had already dared to casually walk into the cuartel and humiliate him by slicing his sword in two in one hack. The man even seemed to have enjoyed it. Don Alejandro was an opponent he did not need to fear. He would never really incite the people to revolution. A bandit dressed in black might has had less trouble encouraging the peasants, taking it on against armed soldiers with shovels and pickaxes. He needs this man cacaptured.
"There is a way to get a sentence reduction. Give me the name of the man hiding behind the mask that helped you escape."
Don Alejandro looks at Ramon defiantly.
"I have no idea." He then turns his face away.
Since Alejandro seems unimpressed by his threats, Ramon decides to change tactics. "Don Alejandro, be reasonable. I only want one man's name in exchange for your own life. What is a better bargain?"
Don Alejandro gives Ramon a foul glare.
"Not a bargain at all."
It is of no use. The don has had a chance and decided his own fate. Ramon utters resolutely. "You die at dawn!"
In response, don Alejandro stares at him, not showing any sign of defeat.
Ramon points to the prison.
"Take him away!"
The lancers lead don Alejandro to the prison while Ramon gets up and walks to the front door.
As he expected, that good-for-nothing Mendoza was doing nothing. He leaned at ease over the railing in front of the office.
"Mendoza!"
The sergeant did not hear the door open and was startled to hear his name called loudly. "Si, mi Alcalde."
Ramon gestures for Mendoza to follow him to his office. Ramon paces back and forth by his desk, stops, and turns to Mendoza with a finger thoughtfully on his chin. "Mendoza, I'm thinking of making some promotions from the garrison."
"Is that so? What an excellent idea."
"But to assess each candidate, " With his right hand, Ramon makes a rotating motion in the air. "I need to know how the men feel about certain things."
Mendoza is confused by the alcalde's question. He knows that he doesn't know much and is uncertain he has understood what his commanding officer wants. Therefore, he asks to be sure. "You want to know my feelings? Alcalde, I am touched."
"Perhaps attitude is a better word."
"It's a bigger word, that's for sure."
"Yes. Um." Ramon realises he will have to rephrase his question if the sergeant is to understand him. "Mendoza, what is, do you think is the biggest challenge facing our garrison?"
Mendoza thinks for a moment. The biggest challenge? That's a tricky one. There are so many. There were riding patrols without food. Standing guard at night without food. Checking or the latrines were cleaned, when doing that, he never thought of food. Then he knows what it is the alcade wants to hear.
"Frijoles," Mendoza replies seriously, satisfied with his clever answer. The alcalde must think eating those is just as challenging as he does.
"What?"
"Frijoles, Alcalde." Since the alcalde does not understand him, Mendoza explains why he thinks this the biggest challenge. "The garrison cook prepares them like he cooks shoe leather."
Ramon begins to lose his patience. The idiot really can't think of anything but food.
"I'm not talking about beans, idiot. I'm talking about the suppression of the rebellion."
Mendoza uncertain. He hadn't thought of that.
"Well, beans can't suppress a rebellion."
Ramon clenches his hands into fists. He thinks, 'I am surrounded by idiots'.
After he gets his anger under control, Ramon says. "You know what I think the biggest challenge for our garrison is? That bandit called Zorro."
Mendoza trembled with fear. That Zorro had come out of nowhere and had looked frightening. He had watched this man take on armed soldiers without showing any sign of fear himself.
"You mean the one with the mask, cape and whip?"
Ramón nods and grins, finally feeling he is getting somewhere.
"Sergeant." Amicably, Ramon puts an arm around Mendoza's shoulders. "The man who brings me this Zorro, dead or alive, is the man who wins the promotion."
Perplexed, Mendoza looks at the gloved hand on his shoulder. He is used to the alcalde barking orders at him and not showing much friendliness. He never liked doing dangerous things.
"Well, you know, mi alcalde, being a sergeant is not so bad." He shakes the hand off his shoulder, salutes and quickly leaves the office before the alcalde can order him to track the man down. He has no appetite for that and, for that matter, no time. Today was a Tuesday, and it was about time to have a break. On Tuesdays, the tavern always served empanadas as the day's special. And if he doesn't get there in time, they will be sold out.
Ramon was left furiously in the office.
.
Victoria had gone to the pueblo to check how things were going in her tavern. To her dismay, Mendoza had left as manager without even instructing her helpers to open and serve customers as usual. After one glance, she saw what was needed and started doing her job.
Just after noon, Mendoza came in and ordered a serving of empanadas.
He seemed a bit absent-minded. "Sergeant, is something bothering you?" She asked him.
"Um, yeah, that's saying no." Mendoza shifted nervously over the chair.
Victoria observed the sergeant. She suspected he had received an order from the alcalde that he hoped he would not have to carry out. Could it have to do with her and don Alejandro? "You can tell me. Which one is it, yes or no?"
Mendoza got a guilty expression on his face. He loves don Alejandro and wishes he could change things. "The alcalde has sentenced don Alejandro to death. Tomorrow, he will get hanged."
Victoria faded into colour. She began to fuss.
"He can't do that!"
Mendoza sighs depressed. "That's just it. He is the alcalde, señorita. So he can."
.
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Gradually, I am beginning to realise that this might be harder than I anticipated. There are so many plot holes. And then also have to make changes to fit into my idea for this story. For example, when and how did Victoria get her tavern back after Ramon seized it and made Mendoza the manager? Wasn't she also a fugitive, like don Alejandro?
Little by little, I'm hoping to get there. The reviews I have received so far are encouraging, for which I like to thank you.
