Chapter 12. Clarifications


For a moment there was total silence in the square, as if Risendo's words needed time to be understood. However, when the soldier standing behind the colonel untied Diego's hands, one shout of joy rolled through the crowd. Only the sight of the still-aimed muskets kept the people from moving towards the scaffold.

Don Alejandro stumbled, supporting himself on Felipe, when his ears filled with a strange noise, and his eyes darkened with sudden relief. All he saw was Diego. Diego, dazed, shaken to his core, who was just taken by the two lancers by the arms and led down the stairs. Victoria started to run, crying and laughing at the same time. She stopped right in front of her husband, still not believing that he was standing in front of her in the same place where they had said their goodbyes.

Diego reached out his hand to touch her face. He brushed her curl off her cheek again. Then he took her in his arms, pressing his face against her hair. Then he stepped back a moment to look at her and hugged her again. She hugged him and pulled him into a kiss.

Risendo cleared his throat, hinting that he was standing next to them. Diego reluctantly broke the kiss and turned to him.

"We still have to talk, de la Vega," said the colonel. "You, and me, and your father. And you should be seen by the doctor. I invite you to the garrison." He pointed to the open gate, towards which don Alejandro was already being led by the soldiers.

X X X

It didn't take long for Dr. Hernandez to administer don Alejandro a tonic and dress Diego's wounded arm. Then he withdrew from the alcalde's office. He wanted to take Felipe with him, but the boy shook his head and stood behind the older caballero.

Risendo placed the mugs on the desk and poured the wine.

"A cure is a cure, but we'll need more than that," he said. There was no old virulence in his voice, rather amusement. "Especially you, Diego!"

From a drawer of his desk he pulled out a paper that was still rolled up.

"Your acquittal." He put the document in front of the young de la Vega. "Just don't make a fool of me and get caught in black, or it will end badly for you. And I don't like feeling like a fool," he threatened.

Diego rested his hand on the paper.

"It depends on what the pueblo government will look like now," he replied.

Risendo laughed.

"You want to die, de la Vega?" He mocked. "If I hadn't known it earlier, now I would be sure that you are Zorro!" He snorted. "Easy, easy!" He raised his hand, seeing don Alejandro turn pale. "I said no one saw Zorro's face and no one caught him. If I were to tear off his mask…" he paused for a moment, "but since I failed at that, even my certainty is far too little to let me hang a man whose father still has friends at the Royal court. Only such vindictive idiots as your two last alcalde could have done something like that. I'm not going to destroy my career like that."

"If so, why did you keep talking about the execution? Why today…" Victoria broke off, unable to say a word about what happened in the square.

"Why?" The colonel replied. "Because I had promised you justice. I announced it to you. A fair judgment was due today."

"No…" Don Alejandro began to say.

"You didn't believe me, I know. After everything I've learned about your pueblo, I understand you dared not believe that I could pass a sentence other than death." The colonel looked down at his cup of wine for a moment. "I deliberately didn't say anything that would give you any hope, because I first had to solve a dilemma." He set the vessel down and rested his hands on the table top, straightening the chair. "As I have just said in the square, these last two alcalde have introduced lawlessness here. Their accusations against Zorro, about assaults against them or the soldiers should not be valid, as it was about unjustified taxes or sentences. So, if I had a completely free hand, I would probably acquit Zorro."

He looked directly at Diego, but Diego didn't change his expression, neither nodding nor contradicting him. The young de la Vega knew the law well enough to know what freedom the king's envoy had.

"But I couldn't decide freely," Risendo continued. "The verdict on Zorro has already been passed, and though it was passed by those bastards, I have no authority to overturn it. Besides, doña, believe me, this way, it will be safer for your husband. He has a pueblo of witnesses that I acquitted him! Nobody will be able to accuse him anymore!" He smiled broadly. "Besides… it seemed fair to me that he should incur some kind of punishment for all the cut-up uniforms I had been told about. I think this moment on the scaffold will be a sufficient lesson for your unruly husband," he said without smiling. "So that he would think a second time before putting on the mask and remembering how you felt today."

Diego was already opening his mouth to answer, but Victoria did not let him speak.

"Why do you think he didn't think? That it was always about something more than the lives of the three of us, because it was about the pueblo? About the lives of everyone who lives here?"

Risendo just raised his eyebrows. Diego put his good arm around Victoria, feeling his wife trembling. He, himself, felt strangely weak, but also at ease.

"The price was too high," he said softly. "You don't even know how high. Not all reports have been written over the years."

"But people remember more," replied the colonel. "And experience has taught me that, when they are pushed against a wall, it's easy to get them to be completely honest. You are right that the reports do not include everything, and what they do include, was often distorted by the alcalde. But the people told me the truth about what has been going on here, and not only in de Soto's time." He took a deep breath, as if chasing away some associations. "I also admit that I was shocked by your honesty yesterday, doña. If I had any doubts as to what kind of people Monsangre and de Soto were, you would have dispelled them completely. I also have to apologize to you. I promised you that this whole story would end for your husband without suffering. Unfortunately, I was carried away in the fight." He pointed the young de la Vega's sling.

"You were not the only one carried away," admitted Diego.

The emissary smiled.

"It was wonderful," he replied in an unexpectedly dreamy voice. "And it gave me the certainty that I can in good conscience acquit you, since you didn't kill me now," he added in a sharper tone.

"If I did..."

"Then you would probably be swinging on a noose in the plaza by this time. And your beautiful wife, instead of taking you home right now, would make a new bed for you six feet underground. Hidalgo's been ordered to hang you if I die. Maybe he would have spared you if it would have been an accident. But only maybe. He had no reason to contemplate an acquittal as I did."

There was silence for a moment.

"As you did?" Don Alejandro asked as the silence dragged on. "So you had a reason to acquit my son after all? Not only the fact that you can't prove him to be Zorro?"

Risendo just shook his head.

"I had doubts as to what sentence I should pass," he replied. "Because, on the one hand, I had an arrest warrant for an outlaw, and accusations written by two alcaldes, and on the other... On the other hand... On the other hand, at the beginning there was only my curiosity about the truth."

"Just curiosity?" Don Alejandro asked softly.

The royal envoy stared at the older caballero for a moment.

"You're right," he said finally. "You should know the truth, especially after our conversation the other day."

He rested both his hands on the table.

"My mother hates you, señor de la Vega," he said. "On her lips, your name is an insult, evidence of character wickedness and moral decay. When I became an officer, she demanded that I seek you out and take revenge for her humiliation and harm. She's been sticking it in my head for years. If she were here... You don't even know how lucky you are that she doesn't know what my assignment is!" He laughed suddenly, but without merriment. "I, in turn, thought you were trying to redeem your brother's mistake by securing his bastard's fate."

Don Alejandro leaned sharply towards the colonel.

"Are you saying that you are Alfonso's son ?" He asked.

"No." Risendo shook his head. "Although for a long time, I had thought I was, even if only because, whenever my mother was disappointed in me, she'd tell me that I should bear his name. I also found out that they knew each other because they had met one summer in a place called San Isidore."

"San Isidore? Alfonso was in command of the presidio there before he was sent to New Spain."

"He left and died, didn't he? Years before I was born," the colonel recalled. "But when I found out about this acquaintance, I fancied that we were relatives... Coming here, I hoped that, with your help, I would be able to reach him, find out why he had renounced me. But, instead, I found out who my father truly was. Or, at least, a man far better than the one I had imagined him to be years ago. And, after what you told me yesterday, I also understood why you set that fund for me, not for my mother."

The elder caballero made this admission with a slight bow of his head. Risendo smiled again.

"But, before I came here," he continued, "I had thought, just like she had repeated so many times, that it had been nothing but a handout, aimed at degrading us. And maybe I would be the vindictive idiot she wanted to see in me, if not for Diego!" He snorted, suddenly amused, but then he grew serious. "I'm the man I am today, in great part, thanks to you, milk brother"

"Milk brother?!" Diego asked intrigued.

"You didn't know? This is not the second time we have crossed paths, De la Vega. It is the third. Don Alejandro…" The colonel turned to the caballero.

The older man sighed heavily.

"At my request, Inez Risendo, the wife of my sergeant, came to live with her child in your mother's family home, Diego," he explained. "When you were born, your grandfather thought I brought her over to be your wet nurse, as was customary, and hired her to be that. She left as soon as I returned..." Don Alejandro thought it would be better if he kept silent about what happened that day. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the envoy's jaw tighten for a moment. "Before we left Spain, I made sure that a certain fund was left for her son to secure his future."

"And I found out about it years later," added Risendo. "But, as I was saying, if I am not the man my mother tried to make me into, if I am not a greedy, vindictive bastard, it is because you once treated me with respect, Diego. That day, when my sword broke, you gave me your weapon so that I could finish that bout and stand for another one. You, de la Vega. Thanks to you, that tournament made me noticed at court. I found a protector, I got promoted faster than the others… I finally went to Kendall." He reached for the mug of wine. "As it turned out, though he made me the swordsman I am, he taught me more than how to fight. He taught me what sort of man I should become. I went to him seeking for a swords master after seeing you fight, and found a mentor. And, in the end, it was all thanks to you…"

"Sir Kendall was a wise man..." said Diego quietly.

"Wise enough to help me find my own path," replied the colonel. "Teach me to see beyond the pretense…"

For a moment there was silence in the office, disturbed only by the muffled noise from the square. The colonel was the first to shake off his reverie.

"People are waiting for you," he said. "And, since you asked about the future of Los Angeles, Diego, I will spoil tomorrow's surprise. If you want to know, if you truly want to know," he corrected himself, "I am going to announce that you, don Alejandro, will now assume the position of alcalde. You are perhaps the most organized and honest man in this pueblo, and you have enough experience as both a commander and a haciendado. Bringing everything in order here should not be beyond your abilities."

The older caballero just nodded, accepting the new assignment.

"And you, Diego," the colonel turned to the man's son, "you will help your father train the lancers. After your recent demonstration in the square, no one should doubt that you can at least teach them to fight better. Together, maybe you can achieve something with this band of failures who are pretending to be the members of the garrison here. On my word, I have never seen such ineptitude in my life! For that alone, de Soto should have lost his position! No wonder Zorro had to chase after bandits, since the local sergeant can only swing a spoon!"

"Mendoza is not so bad..." protested Diego.

"He's not bad as a sergeant! But no one expects an ox to fly, does it? And he is just such an ox. A solid, loyal soldier, but without panache! To put him in charge is to ask for trouble!" Risendo was irritated. "Anyway," he reflected, "you'll take care of these people. From tomorrow on, it's your job to make sure that Zorro is no longer needed to catch desperados!"

He rose from behind the desk. The de la Vegs got up, too.

"Go home, don Alejandro," he said. "And you too, doña, with your unruly husband." He smiled, pointing at Diego.

Victoria did not smile back at him. She was still silent, and the colonel's eyes narrowed slightly. He walked around the desk.

"Your pride and courage are worthy of Madrid's palaces, doña," he said.

He bowed before her as before a lady of the royal court. Surprised, Victoria curtsied like Maria had taught her. Risendo took her hand gently and lifted it to kiss it.

"Forgive me, doña de la Vega. Forgive me for everything I have made you endure these last few days," he asked.

"No, I do not know…"

"I see. I won't bother you anymore, doña. I just want you to know that, if they were still alive, I would have done anything to get those two bastards to pay for hurting you. That I will make sure the rest of the guilty ones will be punished."

There was a terrifying promise in Risendo's voice and expression, and Diego realized that, that day in the inn, the corporal had only read the information about the imprisonment of Monsangre's soldiers, without a word about their sentences.

If don Alejandro thought about the same, he hid it well, because he leaned on Felipe's shoulder and headed for the door.

The colonel passed the caballero to the threshold. He was smiling again, friendly and pleased.

"It will probably take you some more time," he said, reaching for the doorknob, "because they are waiting for you out there with congratulations, but it's time for you to go home."

X X X

Hidalgo entered almost silently through the door connecting the office with the garrison's prison. Risendo stood in the center of the office, head cocked, listening to the buzzing outside. The noise of the gathered crowd died down for a moment, probably when the de la Vegas were crossing the garrison gate, and immediately exploded with cheers.

"You were taking a risk," Julian remarked.

The colonel shook his head.

"A lesser one than you might think," he replied. "In all these years, Zorro hasn't killed anyone."

"Nobody took him to the scaffold, either." The lieutenant's crooked grin made his face look mocking.

Gilberto walked over to the sideboard and again looked through the brandy bottles there. Hidalgo leaned against the wall next to the piece of furniture.

"Actually..." he began. "Why such a sentence, anyway?"

"Did you hear what I told them?"

"Yes. You made me laugh with this talk of justice and dilemmas. Since when do you restrain yourself when passing judgement in such insignificant colonial outposts? Who even cares about this place enough to challenge your decision?"

Risendo looked askance at his friend.

"Since I decided so," he replied coldly. "What I told them about justice was true."

"Apologies." Hidalgo inclined his head.

The colonel stared at him for a long moment before he leaned back against a piece of furniture and stared at the window, from behind which still the sounds of celebration could be heard.

"You were right to say that elderly de la Vega could make our dealings with the governor difficult for us," he said, "and I couldn't send him to the gallows as Zorro's accomplice, even though I would thus shut his mouth. If I did that, I would have had to send all the other caballeros after him, and probably the local priest, too, otherwise they would have chased us all the way to Madrid!" He snorted. "Anyway... I don't like open accounts, but I shouldn't have to close this one with an execution," he added in a lower voice.

"And the young one?" The lieutenant asked. "Why didn't we just let him go? You could have talked him into a friendly duel later, without the risk of him trying to get rid of you! Or why did you not simply announced that you have pardoned him?"

His commander and friend was again silent for a long moment.

"I figured I should protect him a little bit," he finally said. "You know, all these years I got used to the idea that I have a relative, a cousin. The way he treated me that tournament I told you about…" He broke off and shrugged. "It doesn't matter. If I were to acquit Zorro, there would have been a lot of people eager to take their revenge on him. And against his family. As it is, they will be alright."

He straightened and looked at Julian.

"Tell the men that we're leaving for Monterey tomorrow, and we're going to be in a hurry. Time to leave this pueblo and deal with what really matters."

Hidalgo didn't budge.

"One more question," he said. "Will we go to the de la Vegas?"

"What for?"

"The old man must know more about your father. Don't you want to question him further?"

Risendo shook his head.

"Half an hour ago, he was sure I was about to hang his son," he replied. "Whether today or tomorrow, it won't be a good time for the old soldier's stories. In a few days, I will write a polite letter to him, asking him to share his memories of his subordinate with me. I'm sure that, before we leave Monterey, I'll get a long letter in which he will write down all the battles, marches, and adventures in the barracks for me."

Julian just nodded, but the colonel held out a glass to him before he started for the door. He accepted it and let him pour him the brandy.

"Time has come for Monterey!" He said, raising it in a toast.

Gilberto Risendo made the same gesture, but didn't drink the whole thing. He held the raised glass for a moment, and stared at the golden alcohol.

"And may hell freeze over if I ever do something my mother wants me to!" He announced before drinking the rest.

X X X

Don Alejandro turned on the bed once again, but finally gave up and sat down. Dr. Hernandez's tonic proved to be an effective remedy for the weakness that had overwhelmed him at noon, but now it kept him awake. The hacienda was silent during the night, yet that silence seemed to ring in his ears, strange and alien.

Risendo was right to warn that it would take a long time to get home. While they were talking in the garrison, a fiesta was being prepared in the pueblo square. To the de la Vegas' their amazement and joy, a small orchestra was improvised, Pilar and Alicia handed out jugs of wine on the tavern's porch, and other women brought refreshments from their homes. Most of all, they wanted to celebrate the rescue of young de la Vega, and, as soon as Diego was in the square, he was greeted with ovations. Only the presence of his father on one side, and Victoria on the other, made sure he'd have some space around him, necessary to protect his injured arm.

However, the de la Vegas did not have the strength to participate in the celebrations. Don Alejandro grimaced at the memory of the noise, joyful screams and cheers. For Diego it must have been even more difficult. It was hard to say how it would have ended had it not been for padre Benitez. The priest first ordered the passage to the church to give them time for a thanksgiving prayer, and then urged the crowd to celebrate without the presence of the young de la Vega. But they came home surrounded by servants and vaqueros, anyway, so it took some time for don Alejandro to convince everyone that his son needed some peace at the moment.

Now that he was alone, the old man's thoughts kept returning to the events of the day, making his heart tremble nervously. When he realized that he couldn't sleep, he got up and headed for the library. A book, a glass of brandy... Anything that would make him feel at home again, and expel from his mind the hours of waiting from the night before and the sight of his son on the scaffold.

A streak of light under the door of Diego's room made him stop and carefully open it. One candle was burning on the desk. So he went in, trying to keep his steps as quietly as possible. His son needed sleep and rest.

Diego was lying on the piled up pillows, holding his wounded hand on his chest, in a sling. Victoria huddled next to him in his shadow, her presence only revealed by the arm embracing her husband. They seemed to be sleeping deeply, so the older caballero sat down in a nearby chair. At that moment he understood perfectly why his son had been spending his nights at Victoria's door recently. He, too, felt better seeing him breathing calmly now, and knowing that his closed eyes only meant a temporary dream, not an eternal one.

He could sit with those two young people until dawn, watching them sleep peacefully...

"I am awake, father," said Diego in an undertone. "We just finished talking."

"I thought…"

"I can not fall asleep."

"Neither one of us can." Victoria raised her head from the pillow.

Don Alejandro smiled involuntarily and moved closer with the chair.

"You are… we are," he corrected, "safe."

"I know. It's just a fever," Diego replied. "I guess."

Victoria sat up, wrapping the covers around herself.

"Felipe just went to get a cure for it," she said.

Don Alejandro touched his son's forehead. He did have a slight fever, understandable from the injury and what he had been through.

"I guess?" Asked the elderly de la Vega.

Diego shook his head without opening his eyes.

"I guess," he repeated. "I don't want to think about possible nightmares."

Victoria slid off the bed and left the room. She returned moments later carrying a glass of brandy for the older caballero.

Don Alejandro took a sip with pleasure and set it aside. He remembered that some time before he had wanted to give his son an earful for the resignation with which he had surrendered to the arrest, but at the moment he was unable to summon that anger. Anyway, all excuses were pointless.

They sat in silence for a long moment when Diego spoke again.

"You were right, Father," he said.

"About what?"

"That duel could have only one ending." The younger man spoke slowly, weary. "De Soto left me no choice. He called me Zorro. If I would have hesitated, we would have all died. I had to kill him."

There was a deep peace in Diego's voice, despite his tiredness, and don Alejandro understood that his son had come to terms with the death of the alcalde, and that he no longer felt guilty about it. That did not explain why he had not tried to avoid the execution, but the elderly de la Vega was not going to ask about it.

Felipe entered the room carrying four cups on a tray. One of them he passed to Victoria.

"Your herbs for fever," she said, handing it over to her husband.

Diego thanked with a smile and drank the concoction. Felipe sat down by the bed and signed something. The young de la Vega just shook his head. "I don't know," he said. "I don't want to decide on that today. We'll see what happens next."

The boy's gestures became softer, more questioning.

"We'll see," repeated Diego. "I…" He broke off and yawned.

"I asked Felipe to add a sleeping potion for you," explained Victoria.

The young de la Vega replied with a smile that expressed both amazement and appreciation, but then he slumped a little lower on the pillows, falling asleep.

"I asked him to make them for all of us," his wife added, setting the second empty cup on the table. "I need some sleep. We all do."

She rested her head on the pillow and fell asleep, too. Don Alejandro shook his head. Even if the other two cups of herbs were for him and Felipe, he didn't want to fall asleep. He preferred to sit with the boy at his son and daughter-in-law's bedside, even until dawn, glad that they were safe at home.


TBC.