Chapter IV. In which two Zorros appear

After using the aftershave lotion, Enrique looked thoughtfully into the eyes of his mirror image. If it were not for his gray temples and the gaze of a person with a rich life experience, he would have looked like a young man, not a captain in the Spanish army. Monastario couldn't help but rejoice at this, because he again had to shed his old skin, as snakes do. An unflattering comparison, but what could you do?

Hearing a slight noise, Enrique took a couple of steps towards the secret door when it opened and de la Vega, dressed in black, entered the bedroom.

At the sight of the clean-shaven Monastario, Diego opened his eyes with amazement, making the Captain chuckle.

In turn, Enrique was surprised to hear de la Vega mutter, "Tu corazón, una naranja helada..."*

"Don't pay attention," the young man immediately said, "I was trying to write poetry to take my mind off dark thoughts. You see, Enrique, I haven't found a single trace of Doña Constancia," Diego frowned. "I can't imagine how Tornado and I could have failed so badly, but—"

"Hang on," Enrique pressed his fingers to his lips and thought. "¡Maldito sea!** The lack of facial hair is distracting," he complained, rubbing his chin.

"By the way, you need to get a tan." Diego laughed and immediately became depressed again. "I can't believe I didn't recognize you as the man from Madrid, all this time."

Enrique did not like the mood of his companion, and therefore he said the first thing that came to his mind.

"Diego?"

"Sí?"

"I had a thought..."

"I am all attention," de la Vega assured him, pouring himself some orange juice.

"It cannot be ruled out that there is no gang of bandits, but there is an agreement between Piña and the tavern owner. The Licenciado offered me a similar scenario with Elena Torres to provoke Zorro, but it seemed too cruel to me, and I refused. It is possible that the Viceroy is privy to this plan and, by locking Constancia in the tavern basement, they hope to catch Zorro to find out why he kidnapped me. Hmmm... What if..."

"Go on," de la Vega hurried him up, and Enrique suddenly realized how much it warmed his pride when El Zorro was listening to him attentively.

"I fear that Doña Constancia did not act sincerely, but that her father sent her," Monastario voiced his doubts. "The Viceroy might have suspected you, Diego. I, as you remember, tried very hard to convince him that you were Zorro. It's not that Don Esteban wants to waste time and energy fighting the local outlaw, but you saved Torres, and Torres is a rebel. Instead of me alone, three traitors can be executed to intimidate the rest of the Californians."

"Impossible," the good boy Dieguito immediately responded, but the Captain did not listen to him.

"I can't believe I wanted to marry her," he muttered. "However, I was interested in the opportunity to get out of this outback, and not Doña Constancia herself."

"You are so... pragmatic, Enrique," de la Vega said after a pause. "Have you ever loved anyone?"

"Diego, I am a soldier, not a poet," Enrique grinned.

He would certainly not tell de la Vega what romantic foolishnesses he committed at the age of twenty. Nor later... from time to time. And the fact that yesterday Enrique believed Constancia because he wanted to believe, because he wanted to be desired, de la Vega should not know that either.

"But still?" Diego insisted.

"No, I don't think so," Enrique lied confidently. However, not a single romantic interest of his could be considered love. You cannot escape love, like fate. "More about romance later, let's get down to business. I propose that you and I, disguised as, ahem, noble bandits, set up an ambush not far from the place where García is supposed to leave the money at midnight. If I am right, then the señorita is in no danger. If I was wrong, we can protect her and," Monastario grinned, "fight the ignoble outlaws."

De la Vega slowly drank the juice and then expressed his agreement. Bernardo, who entered the bedroom, cast a hostile glance at Enrique and began to listen to his master. As Monastario suspected, the servant was mute, but not deaf. Diego outlined their plan to Bernardo, asked him to saddle a horse for Enrique, and then handed Monastario a bandit costume.

After he left Enrique to change clothes, de la Vega went down into the cave to load the pistols.

Enrique tied a bandana on his head, picked up a mask, and heard Diego returning to the room.

„So, does this masquerade suit me?" Monastario asked, grinning and involuntarily remembering the late Señor Martinez.

Martinez had asked if the Zorro costume suited him. Enrique hoped he wouldn't end up like that man.

"More or less," responded the real Zorro. "Clearly, I am a bad influence on you."

"Don't flatter yourself, Diego," Enrique chuckled, looking for his hat, "if the Viceroy hadn't found Riego's letter in my things, I would have been forced to join the royalists. That would have been much worse."

"In fact, I, of course, meant that I influence you positively..."

"Oh well. By the way, I would prefer a scarf rather than this seductive half mask."

"Bernardo found a black stallion for you," Diego interrupted, confused by Enrique's words.

Hadn't Monastario hinted that real outlaws did not ask themselves the question "How do I look?"? However, it was also true that all Spaniards were prone to panache.

"Thank you, but I would prefer Blanco. I understand that I should merge with the darkness, but—"

"I shall give you back your horse if I can," de la Vega promised, and Enrique felt awkward. He had to admit, he never thought that Diego's generosity would extend to him.

Following de la Vega downstairs, Monastario felt a long-forgotten, intoxicating feeling, whose name was "freedom," flowing through his veins. Freedom to make his own decisions. Freedom to be his true self.

Notes

* Your heart, (is) a frozen orange… (Spanish) The quote is from a poem by Miguel Hernández and a reference to the theme of oranges in the series and my fanfics (where orange trees and fruits are often associated with the Comandante). In this case, Diego has conflicting feelings towards Monastario and tries to understand what kind of person the Captain really is.

** Damn it! (Spanish)