Chapter 6
Don Alejandro didn't believe his ears. They were sitting at the dining table, and Alejandro had casually suggested Diego take Victoria along on his trip. To his utter surprise, Diego had refused and was not budging. "What do you mean, you are not taking Victoria with you? I promised her she could come."
"Well, perhaps you shouldn't make promises in other people's name." Diego uttered, not hiding his frustration.
"Diego, stop it. I really couldn't care less about what you think regarding taking Victoria to Santa Barbara," Don Alejandro's voice now sounded sharp, infused with anger.
Diego raised an eyebrow, his own irritation beginning to simmer. "And why exactly does Victoria need to come? It will be boring for her. It mostly is a business trip."
"Because it's not just about you, Diego!" Alejandro's voice rose, filled with impatience and determination. "Victoria needs a few days for herself. She needs to be away from the troubles in the pueblo and her tavern."
"Is the tavern is trouble?"
"Not exactly. Victoria is going through a difficult time. A trip to Santa Barbara is the perfect opportunity for her to get some rest. I promised her she could come with you. So, she's going with you."
Diego could no longer suppress his discontent. The main reason for him to go to Santa Barbara was to take his mind off Victoria. And now his father had decided without any consultation, Victoria was to join him. "But she'll just be bored. I don't think Victoria is interested in my new suits, books, my violin, or me visiting señor Cristóbal."
"Nonsense," his father dismissed these objections. "You'll be staying with Rafael and Margarita. Victoria and Margarita will surely get along well."
His father obvious didn't remember the quarrel the two ladies had had.
"Father, I think it would be better…"
Alejandro's eyes shot fire. "You don't need to think. For once, you only need to do what is told. Victoria needs support from people who care about her. We are the closed thing in Los Angeles to a family she has. And she needs a distraction. You are going to provide that for her."
"Aren't you afraid of what people might think?"
"Why? Isn't Felipe joining you?"
Diego sighed.
"See, problem solved. And besides, everyone knows that you and Victoria are like brother and sister. You are taking Victoria to Santa Barbara. And you are even making her believe you like her coming along. Pretend if you have to. End of discussion."
Diego felt his blood boil. His own frustration is now on the verge of exploding. "You just don't understand, father! You only think about what you want without, for once, considering my reasons."
"So tell me your reasons. For why, may I ask, would you object to helping a friend that is like family?"
Alejandro's voice turned icy. "Is it really too much to ask to support a good friend when she's going through a hard time? Diego, I'm deeply disappointed in you. I thought I raised you better. You had me believe Victoria meant something more to you."
Defiantly, Diego mumbled unintelligibly. "More than you know."
"What did you say? I didn't hear you."
The words hung heavily in the air between them. A silence filled with tension and unspoken accusations.
Diego felt defeated. His own father worked against him at a time when he needed it most. With a frustrated sigh, he bowed his head. "Fine, she can come."
Alejandro's expression did not soften. "I'm pleased to hear that. You make sure she enjoys herself. Take her to the theatre or something. And be warned, Diego. You will regret it should I hear you haven't been the epitome of kindness."
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Victoria was oblivious to all of this, and despite the effort it took her not to think about Zorro, she was looking forward to the outing.
In the following days, Don Carlos was elected as the new alcalde. He was a former military man and began creating a training program for the soldiers on the same day.
.
The next day, de Soto bid farewell to Los Angeles to travel to San Diego by carriage. He was about fifteen miles from Los Angeles when the carriage was suddenly stopped by Zorro.
"Zorro," de Soto called out as he got out, a pistol in his hand aimed at his arch-enemy. "I was hoping you'd stop by to say goodbye." He pulled the trigger...
Nothing happened.
Zorro smiled widely, holding his sword casually over his shoulder.
"You've tampered with my pistol," remarked De Soto frustrated, his voice dripping with anger.
Zorro saluted. "Of course. I value my life. I'm only here to bring you something to remember me by, hoping you'll think of me often in Madrid. And I've come to return to Los Angeles what isn't yours."
"I have no idea what you're talking about?" De Soto sneered, drawing his sword.
"This month's five hundred pesos in taxes you promised to send to Monterey and instead is now in your pocket. The people of Los Angeles have worked hard to let you steal it. Señor De Soto, you didn't think I'd let you get away with it, did you?" Zorro humiliated the former alcalde by calling him señor. "I thought you knew me better than that."
De Soto drew his sword. "Come and get it if you dare."
As anyone except de Soto could have predicted, the ensuing fight lasted only a few minutes. Eventually, he ended up on his backside in the sand, while Zorro stood triumphantly over him, grinning widely. "Let us say goodbye as we met." With his sword, Zorro quickly carved a Z into the former alcalde's uniform.
Zorro bent forward, opened De Soto's jacket, and took a small bag containing the money out. "I will hand this money to Don Carlos. I am sure the governor is pleased you finished your job neatly. Just think, he might even let the King know."
After attaching the money bag to Toronado's saddle, Zorro forced De Soto back into the carriage. He used a piece of wood to block the door. "Be wise and choose your battles carefully. From what I have heard, the dons offered you opportunities for a glorious career in Madrid. Be grateful that I'm allowing you a chance to achieve that."
Then Zorro nodded to the coachman as a signal that they could continue their journey.
The carriage left, and de Soto saw how Zorro was gradually getting out of sight.
He ordered the driver to stop, and after the man removed the piece of wood blocking the door, de Soto jumped out of the carriage, opening his trunk. A smile appeared on his face. "Oh Zorro. You're such a predictable fool." On top lay four bags filled with pesos. Obviously, taking this month's tax money had been a brilliant distraction. Zorro hadn't even come near the trunk that contained six thousand pesos intended to be the fox's reward money. "As Machiavelli wrote, the man who masters the tactic of distraction to manipulate his enemy will prevail.", he uttered, unable not to burst out in laughter. "I outsmarted the fox."
What de Soto didn't know at that moment was that the recommendation letters from the dons were written using special ink. The kind of ink that fades quickly. Before de Soto would enter the port of Cádiz, he would only have worthless, blank sheets of paper with him. What he did discover before the ship entered that port was that the coins in the trunk were all made from lead coated in wax.
.
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The idea for the letters written with a special ink comes from the episode freedom of press, S2E6.
The idea for the wax coins comes from the episode all that glitters, S1E17.
Why use a good idea only once. :)
The quote the man who masters the tactic of distraction to manipulate his enemy will prevail is not by Machiavelli. I made it up. But since de Soto admired the man, I thought it fun to make a reference to Machiavelli. This quote is in some way his style of writing.