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 15

The following morning, the pueblo buzzes with activity. Everyone now knows about the race, and those who have seen Macias' horse are convinced of one thing: Zeus can win any race. At the request of many, Don Alejandro has taken on the task of overseeing the bets.

Diego listens to the surrounding excitement while observing the crowd. He notices that Victoria has also placed a bet, a modest one of two pesos, on Zeus. He suspects she did it more to show her support for Macias than to win money. Some people are wagering three weeks' worth of salary or more. It worries him how careless people are with their life savings.

With determination, Diego asks Felipe to keep his eyes and ears open. He realizes that many people have a lot at stake and wants to ensure that Herrera can't influence the race unfairly. If Herrera wins, will be done fairly.

.

Herrera wins the race, casting a gloomy atmosphere in the tavern since the horse on which many had bet failed to claim a glorious victory. Mendoza sits somberly at a table, listlessly poking at his meal. He was one of those who had wagered all his savings. Diego and Don Alejandro sit with Macias at a nearby table.
The previous evening, Diego had convinced his father to position someone at critical points along the route to ensure a fair race. These men were appointed just before the race, so they couldn't be bribed. Even Macias, although with a heavy heart, admitted that the race had been fair.
Herrera earns a fortune by winning the race. Ramon confiscates Zeus as he had placed a bet and lost. He couldn't accept the loss of four thousand pesos of public funds and blames Macias for his defeat.

Suddenly, Macias jumps up and exclaims, "I want to see Zeus!"

Don Alejandro responds calmly, "That's going to be difficult now that he's in the alcalde's stable."

Diego takes a sip of water and looks thoughtfully at Mendoza, seated at another table. An idea flashes through his mind. He puts down his glass and stands up. "Come on, I think I know someone who can help us."

Not long after, accompanied by Mendoza, the men walk towards the garrison stables. Mendoza warns them, "If the alcalde catches us here, I'll have to greet corporals from now on."

Macias rushes into the stable ahead of Mendoza and Diego. Zeus lies in the hay, breathing heavily. "Zeus!" Macias exclaims with concern upon seeing the horse, sick and heavily weakened.

Diego and Macias kneel beside the horse. Diego carefully examines the animal. "Something's wrong. He's sick. It must be something he ate or something else given to him."

Mendoza approaches to get a better look at the horse. He, too, realizes that something is amiss. The alcalde is already furious, and he will explode when the horse dies. Mendoza looks worried as he asks Diego, "What should we do?"

"Go fetch the garrison blacksmith," Diego orders. "And we need to get out of here. Come on, Macias."

"Diego, I've known this horse since he was born. I want to stay with him."

"We can't get Mendoza into trouble. Zeus will be taken care of quickly. Let's go to the tavern. Mendoza will come and inform us as soon as he knows more." Diego pulls Macias outside while the man anxiously keeps looking at the horse.

.

Back in the tavern, the men wait for Mendoza. Diego and Don Alejandro have already had to stop Macias from going to the stables four times.
"Patience. It won't be much longer now. Victoria, do you have a glass of wine for us?" Don Alejandro beckons to Victoria as he once again urges Macias to be a bit more patient.

Macias has told everyone what happened to Zeus, and everyone wants to know the outcome. Just at that moment, Mendoza finally walks in.

Macias jumps up. "Tell us!"

"I now know what's wrong with Zeus. It was something he ate. The blacksmith gave him herbs to soothe his stomach. He will recover soon," Mendoza says, relieved.

Macias breathes a sigh of relief and sits back down. He looks up gratefully. "Ah, gracias de Dios," he says, relieved.

Victoria smiles, as does Diego, who raises his glass. Diego ponders over what he had heard about senor Herrera in San Pedro. Rumors circulated that the man hadn't won fair and square, although there was no evidence. Diego had thought that Herrera would have taken a shortcut during the race. Apparently, his tricks were even dirtier. Herrera must have fed Zeus something poisonous. The coincidence of a young, healthy stallion falling ill on the same day as the race was remarkable. Once he had won a race, Herrera would make a swift exit. The horse would get sick but not die. And since Herrera knew how to make an animal sick, he surely knew what to give to help its recovery. Most likely, Herrera would sell the horse and pocket a few thousand pesos. How many times had he done that before? In Los Angeles, his crime had come to light because the alcalde had confiscated the horse.

"I don't know what to think," Diego says hesitantly.

Herrera is on the other side of the tavern, engaged in a discussion with don Sebastian. His mocking laughter echoes through the room. "You should have had the sense to bet on my horse. Oh, well... live and learn, hmm?"
Don Sebastian had wagered a substantial sum of money on Zeus.

Victoria overhears it. She suddenly stands up, ready to face the man and tell him her opinion.
"You don't have the fastest horse in California, you know," she says confidently.

Herrera looks at her amusedly and walks to the bar. "Really? And who does, señorita?"

Victoria stares at him intently and replies, "Zorro."

Herrera laughs mockingly. "Ah, yes, the legendary fox of the night. We have heard of him even in Monterey, hmm."

Victoria raises her chin and slowly walks out from behind the bar. "He has an incredible horse named Toronado," she says.

Mendoza can't resist joining in. "Almost as clever as a human," Mendoza utters.

Victoria smiles. "Ha, and smarter than some," she replies, winking at Diego as she says it.

The people in the tavern begin to laugh, while Mendoza feels offended without fully understanding why.

Herrera looks at her challengingly and walks back to the bar. "Anyway, where is he then? This legend and his miraculous horse?" Herrera asks with a mocking tone.

Diego thinks it's best that no one makes bets in the name of Zorro. "Zorro is an extremely unpredictable character," he utters, sipping his water.

Mendoza rejoined the group and pondered. "Yes, that's true. Zorro has a bounty on his head and only appears when there is a good reason," Mendoza whispered.

Herrera placed his glass on the bar and walked towards Diego, Macias, and Mendoza. "Let's give him a good reason. Another race! If I win, Zorro and his horse belong to me. But if Zorro wins, I will give him all the horses he wants," Herrera proposed, confident in his announced, placing coins on the bar. "Please, drinks for everyone."

Diego looked pensive and gave a slight smile. "Why would he?" he muttered.

Mendoza leaned forward slightly and whispered rather loud,
"Because we lost our money unfairly. Macias' horse was drugged,"

Macias nodded in agreement.
"That's true," he confirmed.

Victoria looked at Diego for confirmation of the suspicion that many had but had not yet voiced.

Diego responded cautiously. "There is no evidence for such a thing," he replied.

Mendoza leaned even closer and whispered with a conspiratorial look.
"The money the alcalde lost came from the governor's tax fund. He will do everything to get it back,"

Diego had a pensive expression. He sneezed loudly into his napkin.

Mendoza became concerned and asked, "Are you alright, don Diego?"

Diego wiped his face and replied, "I'm not sure. I haven't been feeling well lately. I think I'm catching a cold. I need some rest." He stood up and walked away from the table.

Victoria watched with an open mouth. That illness had come on suddenly, concerned Victoria thought as she saw Diego leaving the tavern. Without saying one word to anyone, he hurriedly made his way home.

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In the cave, Diego opened a thick book. "This book contains information about all known plants, shrubs, and trees." Diego quickly flipped through its pages.

Felipe gestured that the book was rather thick.

"Yes, it will take weeks to find what made Zeus ill. The chances of finding the answer here are limited." Diego closed the book. It had been a bad idea to try and search for it in this book. "It mainly focuses on European plants. However, I'm curious about what poison Herrera used. There's a good chance it's not even mentioned. It could be an invasive species found in California. And there's also the possibility that the poison has an animal origin." Diego walked towards the clothing rack. "My first priority is to ensure Zorro's safety during the race."

Felipe made a Z gesture.

"Yes, Zorro will make his appearance tomorrow. But I don't feel like racing against Herrera with the whole garrison chasing after me. I'll go and pay a visit to the alcalde. See whether he has time for a chat." Diego tied the mask over his face, put on his hat, and leapt onto Toronado's back. "I'll be back soon. Adios."

.

After the race, which Zorro, of course, won, don Alejandro returned to the hacienda to tell his son what had happened. Concerned about Diego's sudden deterioration in health, Victoria had invited herself to the hacienda to personally check on his condition. She had brought some chicken soup to soothe Diego. Don Alejandro entered the house and called for his son. "Diego, Diego!" Felipe came running. "Ah, Felipe, have you seen Diego?"

The boy greeted don Alejandro and made gestures that were too fast for Victoria to understand.

"He's still in bed!? He must be worse off than I thought."

Worriedly, Victoria asked, "Maybe the doctor should come and look at him. Diego was acting strange yesterday. It seemed to come on suddenly."

Felipe's eyes widened, and he began shaking his head.

Don Alejandro was thinking over Victoria's suggestion. "That might be a good idea, but we better check how he's doing first."
Concerned because he had initially thought his son was exaggerating, which now turned out not to be the case, Alejandro quickened his pace. Without even knocking, he entered the bedroom. Victoria followed behind and entered the room as well. Diego had heard his father calling and groaned as he opened his eyes.

With compassion, Victoria kindly asked, "How are you feeling?"

Diego, with a hoarse whisper, replied, "Much better."

Don Alejandro said, "Are you sure? Victoria and I were just talking about maybe having Doctor Hernandez come and check on you."

Diego remained to lie down, with his nose barely sticking out from under the covers. "There's no need. Tomorrow, I sure will feel better."

"If you're certain. Good news, by the way. Zorro outsmarted Herrera and the alcalde. The money got recovered. Macias has paid his taxes. He gets to keep his farm and Zeus."

The good news briefly brightened Diego's eyes. "That is indeed good news. Finally, some justice. We should celebrate."

Don Alejandro uttered, "I have something else that please you. That book you've been waiting for, the life of Hayden, has just arrived." He tried to hand over the book to Diego.

Victoria observed the don's reaction with suspicion. For a brief moment, he seemed to come alive, only to groan and bury his head back in the pillows. Diego uttered, "Oh, I'm not feeling well. Honestly, I feel terrible." He rolled onto his side. "Horrible. Maybe we should celebrate later. Can you leave the book on the table, please?"

Scanning the bedroom, Victoria saw no signs that anyone was taking care of the don. "Don Diego, have you eaten or drunk anything yet?"

From even further under the covers than prior, Diego muttered. "No appetite."

All she could see now was a crown of black hair. "Is it any wonder you don't feel well? You should at least try to drink. I brought you chicken soup. I'll go warm it up. Once you ate a bowl of it you'll be back on your feet before you know it."

"Good idea, Victoria. Ask Maria to bring a jug of water as well."
Alejandro followed Victoria out of the bedroom and closed the door behind him.

Once the door was closed, Diego sprang up. It had been a close call. He had to rush back to the hacienda to beat his father. In haste, he had jumped into bed while still wearing his Zorro costume. If his father or Victoria had looked under the bed, they would have found a black hat and a sword. Diego quickly removed the costume, threw everything that could give him away into the wardrobe, and put on a nightshirt before jumping back into bed.

.

A little while later, the door opened again. "Try to sit up straight." Victoria entered, a tray in her hands, carrying a bowl of chicken soup, a jug of water with a glass, and a cup of steaming tea.

Diego groaned as he sat up.

"Here, let me help you." Victoria placed the tray on the dresser and pushed an extra pillow behind his back.

"Thank you, Victoria."

She picked up the tray again and placed it on his lap before sitting down on the chair next to his bed. "You need to try to eat something and especially drink. Otherwise, you'll only feel worse." Victoria said in a nurturing tone as she adjusted the blankets until they were to her liking.

Diego nodded and took the spoon.

While eating his soup, Diego found it amusing to hear Victoria recount what had happened in the pueblo that day. He had been there himself, of course, but he enjoyed hearing her perspective.

"It seems like Herrera cheated on Macias. He tried to do the same with Zorro by making a false start, but Zorro saw through it. I had no idea a horse could be that fast. It was almost terrifying to watch. Of course, I don't know what happened during the race, but eventually, they both returned. Zorro won by a narrow margin. Everyone thought it was over, but that's when things really started." She paused briefly to build suspense.
"Herrera didn't accept his defeat. He took the money and fled the pueblo."

"And Ramon allowed that? I'm surprised he didn't try to arrest Zorro and permitted the race to start."

"I heard that Ramon struck a deal with Zorro. He agreed to leave Zorro alone as long as he won the race. The lancers were instructed to arrest Zorro only after the race. Well," Victoria raised her hands, "that's what Sulpevelda claimed. I can't say for sure if it's true. But either way, Ramon didn't try to capture Zorro until after the finish. Zorro chased after señor Herrera, retrieved the money, and returned it. And Zeus is back with Macias."

"All's well that ends well, then," muttered Diego as he wiped his mouth with a napkin.

Victoria's voice carried a hint of irritation now. "But all of this wouldn't have happened if a bunch of fools hadn't accepted the challenge and placed bets. It's one thing for Zorro to come to the rescue, but people shouldn't recklessly gamble away their money, especially not public funds like the alcalde did. I'm glad you don't gamble. I forbid it in my tavern, as soon as I catch anyone doing it, I tell them to quit or leave. Too many good men have lost more than just their belongings because of that nonsense."

Diego could only agree with her. Today, Zorro had gambled himself and lost. He should have known better than blindly trusting Ramon on his word the man had no honour. The race had seemed like an opportunity to marry Victoria without putting her in danger from Zorro. And for a brief moment, he had hoped to have found a way out of the mess. If his plan had succeeded, Zorro could have retired. Internally, he mourned his loss.

"Would you like some more soup?" Victoria interrupted his thoughts.

"Yes, please. It tastes excellent, already I do feel better," Diego replied.

"This chicken soup has healing powers. It is a recipe from my grandmother," Victoria confided to him with a smile.

.

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In chicken soup, there's a substance called carnosine. Research has shown that carnosine can be of a positive effect on the immune system and a mild inhibitory effect on respiratory inflammation. It won't work for the flu or a cold. Those illnesses get caused by a virus and not a bacterium.
The fact remains that chicken soup can provide some relief from the symptoms, like the steam coming from the soup. In the old days, they did know what they were doing.

In the next chapter, there will be a reference to the episode 'Dead men tell no tales.' S1E1.

And as always, I like to hear your thoughts on the story.