Chapter 8

Alcalde Ramon pointed at the masked man who dared to interrupt him. "Who are you? What do you want?"

Many women gasped and covered their mouths in horror as the man grabbed the edges of his cape and jumped down from the first floor. Many thought the man would plummet to his death.
He did not. The cape was spacious enough to allow the man to land gracefully.

The masked man took a short sprint and leapt onto the edge of the fountain. He towered above the crowd, and everyone in the plaza could see him. With a loud voice, the man spoke. "My name is El Zorro. Señor alcalde, I have come to protect the people of Los Angeles from the injustice you inflict upon them."

"Arrest that rebel," Ramon was furious.
For months on end, he had waited for the perfect opportunity to hang don Alejandro. The man was an annoying busybody who constantly kept an eye on him and had thwarted many a scheme for self-enrichment.

The lancers didn't know what to do. Follow their leader's new command or continue trying to control the gathered crowd.
The lancer closest to the fountain ran towards Zorro armed with his sword. Zorro drew his sword, and within four strikes, he had subdued the lancer. More lancers now came running to confront the mysterious black-clad man.

Zorro jumped off the edge, approached the lancers, swiftly grabbed a flowerpot from a nearby windowsill, and forcefully smashed it onto the head of one of the lancers. The man staggered and fell with a thud to the ground as bystanders watched in amazement.
Then this man, calling himself Zorro, grabbed a broom leaning against the wall with his left hand and used it as a shield to fend off the three lancers who had initiated the attack.
Suddenly, he threw it towards one of the lancers, who reflexively caught the object and stared in surprise at the unexpected gift. Before the lancer could figure out what to do with the broom, Zorro agilely turned around and gave the man a firm kick in the rear, causing him to tumble forward and splash into the nearby trough for horses.

The crowd, amazed to see this El Zorro effortlessly take on the entire regiment, began shouting encouragements. A man with such courage and skills had never been seen before.

As the chaos continued around them, Zorro turned to the prisoners and skilfully cut their ropes with a sharp dagger he drew from his belt.

Then he turned to Victoria Escalante, nodded at her, and said, "It gladdens me to find an ally."
Zorro tapped the brim of his hat and made a small bow. "Señorita, please excuse me."

Victoria smiled, feeling her heart beat faster. She had been right. From what she could see, the man was very attractive.

Some bystanders began to cheer, convinced that this was the end of Alcalde Ramon's rule.
However, he was not willing to give up so easily.

"Mendoza, arrest that man. I want him to hang on the gallows this instant."

Mendoza, who had been one of the first to acknowledge defeat, struggled to his feet. He looked open-mouthed as if nothing seemed to affect the black-masked man. How he navigated through the crowd with indescribable agility. Exactly seemed to know where danger lurked and took out one lancer after the other.
"Si, mi alcalde. But how?"

Zorro stood opposite Ramon, who stood waiting with his sword drawn. The men circled about six feet apart from each other, taking slow steps.

Suddenly, the alcalde called out. "Prepare to die, Zorro." And he launched the attack.

"Perhaps another time, señor alcalde. You see, for today, I have other plans."
As customary in sword fighting, Zorro saluted the alcalde and launched his first attack.

With each strike that Ramon unsuccessfully attempted to parry, Zorro said something to make his point clear.
"The people of Los Angeles have the right to an alcalde who represents them and has their best interests at heart. These are the hallmarks of good leadership. Nonsensical, high taxes and injustices like those happening in Los Angeles do not belong in a civilized area. Be a good leader, and you will never see me again. Treat the people unfairly, arrest people without reason, and you will wish you had never heard of Los Angeles."

To everyone witnessing the fight, it was clear that the alcalde was on the losing end, and it barely cost Zorro any effort to overpower the man. People nudged each other and began to praise the skills of the masked man.

"I will not rest until justice prevails and injustice is defeated."

The alcalde made a desperate attempt to defeat Zorro. He started to run towards Zorro, his sword pointed at the man's heart.
"All you will do is die!"

Zorro took a step aside. He hooked his leg behind the alcalde, who landed with a dull thud on the ground. Zorro placed the tip of his sword at the alcalde's throat. "On your knees."

Ramon was forced to look up at Zorro, who pushed the point of his sword against the wildly pulsating vein in the alcalde's neck.

"Order your men to release the prisoners. Let them work the fields so they have the income to pay your beloved taxes. If I ever hear again that you deny people to work, you will be the one showing regret. The people of Los Angeles work hard to make a living. They all deserve your respect for their efforts."

Those who heard what Zorro had said cheered.

Zorro whistled, and there were cries of amazement as a magnificent black horse appeared from behind the church.

Zorro mounted the horse.

Meanwhile, the alcalde struggled to his feet.

Don Alejandro stepped forward. "Señor Zorro, may I thank you on behalf of the people of Los Angeles and myself for your help. Tell us to whom we owe our gratitude."

Zorro smiled kindly and addressed the don. "As much as it pains me, señor, I cannot do that. By keeping my identity secret, I can protect you."
Then Zorro turned his attention to the alcalde. "Remember, alcalde, there is only one way to get rid of me. Adios."
Zorro tapped the brim of his hat, spurred his horse, and galloped swiftly under the gate that formed the main entrance to the pueblo.

From the top of his lungs, the alcalde shouted. "Lancers! After him!"

As most of the lancers were still recovering from their encounter with Zorro, this order from the alcalde had little effect.
Ten seconds later, the men capable of doing so jumped up.
Zorro had barely passed through the gate when loud explosions sounded all around the cartel, and smoke rose behind the buildings.

"We are under siege!" The alcalde screamed in panic. "To arms!"

Victoria stood next to don Alejandro. Her heart was pounding rapidly. And she wondered whether it was possible to fall in love so quickly with someone she had never seen before.
"Who do you think Zorro is?" She burned with curiosity and was determined to find out everything there was to know about El Zorro.
She burned with curiosity to interrogate the don a bit more about what he thought of El Zorro.

Victoria noticed don Alejandro looked somewhat defeated, and before she had a chance to say anything, the don began speaking.
"Victoria, do you have plans to go to Santa Paula anytime soon?"

"Not for the time being. I was there just last month, as you know."

She found Don Alejandro looking somewhat disoriented but assumed it was customary after spending a night in a cell fearing for your life, only to have it saved by an unknown man.
"Are you alright? Let's go to the tavern. You look like you could use some coffee. It will do you good."

Alejandro followed Victoria into the kitchen. She poured him some coffee and began questioning the don again. "What do you think? Will this Zorro return and come to our aid again?"

Don Alejandro took a sip of the hot beverage. "Most likely he has to. Ramon won't change quickly. He might be shaken now, but he'll surely want to lure this man out to see if he means business. Whoever is brave enough to speak out openly like that, his life is in danger."

"I think Zorro can handle the alcalde. Did you see how he took on the lancers?" Victoria sighed and gazed dreamily ahead.

"Yes, I have never seen such swordsmanship before. The man is very talented. And I and seven others owe him our lives." His voice faltered.
"Uh, well... Victoria, before I forget. Should you go to Santa Paula, let me know, and I'll accompany you," Alejandro redirected the conversation to the previous topic.

"That's kind of you to offer and isn't necessary, don Alejandro. I've gone alone so many times."

"Please, Victoria. We live in a dangerous time. I would feel better knowing you weren't travelling alone..."

She shrugged. "Why not. It's a long, boring journey, I sure would like your company. Alright, I'll let you know."

"Thank you, señorita. I must get going. I couldn't do anything yesterday, so I have a huge pile of work waiting for me."

.

At Diego's request, from that day on, Felipe could be found in the tavern more frequently than usual, a fact not lost on Victoria. The boy often sat idly in a corner, observing his surroundings and awaiting don Alejandro's arrival for an elaborate lunch. Victoria suspected that, like Don Alejandro, Felipe sought refuge from Don Diego. It genuinely saddened her. Years ago, Don Diego had found Felipe abandoned on a desolate terrain following a recent battlefield. According to Diego, Felipe was the sole survivor among many bodies. Deaf and mute, the little boy was helpless. Most would have left Felipe to his fate or perhaps taken him, if lucky, to an orphanage.

Diego, however, had brought Felipe with him to Los Angeles. And, with incredible patience, had earned the boy's trust.

It seemed surreal that the same man would now turn his back on the orphan whose life he had once saved and then nurtured. Victoria could see the hurt in the boy's eyes. Placing a glass of juice in front of Felipe, she gained his attention with a gentle tap on his shoulder, prompting him to look at her. "Are you waiting for Don Alejandro?" she asked, enunciating clearly, aware that Felipe could lip-read.

Felipe nodded.

"Would you like to help me, then? It's busy, and Maria is sick."

Felipe hesitated.

"I would appreciate it, should you be willing to clear the tables, arrange the chairs, and help with the dishes. You won't do it for free. I'll pay you two pesos this morning. And if you are willing to help out more often per shift."

Felipe nodded and began to rise.

Laughing, Victoria gently pushed him back onto his stool. "Finish your drink first, then I'll see you in the kitchen."

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Just past noon, Don Alejandro entered and caught a glimpse of Felipe disappearing into the kitchen with arms full of dirty dishes. He approached the bar where Victoria was busy polishing glasses.

"Did I see Felipe helping out?"

Victoria laid the cloth on the bar and turned to Don Alejandro. "He looked so lost. I got the feeling he likes being here but is terribly bored. That's why I asked him to help me. It gives him something to do and..."

"And he needs to spend less time at home," Alejandro added, noticing a deep blush spreading across Victoria's cheeks. "That's very kind of you. You have a big heart, Victoria."

"I pay him just as much as my other helpers."

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you. Felipe is old enough to know what he wants. And he's not a servant, although he does a lot for me. It's alright, Victoria. If Felipe wants to work here, I won't stand in his way. I can understand why he doesn't want to be in the hacienda all the time."

Alejandro understood Felipe better than anyone could have guessed. Like Felipe, he tried to avoid the house. Or, more frankly, certain people living in the house.

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"Well done." Diego praised Felipe later that evening when he entered the cave and heard that Victoria had asked the boy to come and help at the tavern for a few hours each day.

"The tavern is where much happens, and the lancers like to gather there to gossip about things. Thank you for doing this. Keep your ears and eyes open, and let me know if you hear anything suspicious."

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