Rafael and the two men who had accompanied the alcalde to the hacienda rode back with De Soto, as per the count's instructions.
"How powerful is he?" Ignacio asked on his way to the pueblo. "How powerful is the count, Señor Montoya?"
"Let's put it this way, Alcalde: before leaving Spain, my master gave King Ferdinand five million pesos to help him rebuild the country. As a gift. And, with such a gift, does come a certain degree of gratitude from his majesty, don't you think so?"
De Soto laughed nervously at that while nodding.
"Furthermore," Rafael continued, "my master also has people in his employment whose only task is to keep him informed about everything and anything of relevance happening all around the world. Here, in California, news from Madrid, for example, usually reaches us in about six weeks – seven at the most."
"Impossible."
"Not for my master. Tell me, alcalde, what is the fastest way you know of to send a message?"
The white-haired man thought about it for a few moments. "Official couriers," he said.
"Carrier pigeons." Rafael contradicted him.
"Oh… Right… But pigeons don't cross the ocean!"
"No, but they do cross continents. Let's assume that, for example, today, one of Goya's paintings is stolen. One of my master's informers is sure to know about it within an hour or so. An hour later, at the most, he will send to Cadiz two carrier pigeons, each carrying the same message for my master – two in case one doesn't reach his destination." Rafael felt the need to explain. "By the next day, at least one of the pigeons would make it to Cadiz, where another of my master's men would take the messages, put them in sealed envelopes, and hand them, together with a nice sum of money, to the captains of the first ships heading for Veracruz, as well as Cuba or the States. Once at their destination, another man will use other pigeons to send the message. This normally takes about a month – five weeks at the most, depending on how long it takes for the ships to cross the ocean, and from where the next pigeons are sent. The last thousand miles are the hard part. You see, having only recently come to California, the pigeons are not yet taught to find their way here. Instead, they go to San Diego, where another man sends my master the message by ship, to San Pedro. Once the pigeons are trained to carry the messages directly here, I am sure information will reach us even sooner."
De Soto was staring open-mouthed while Rafael was explaining everything to him, not even realizing when they had stopped outside his office.
"I believe you wanted to free Don Alejandro before noon," the mayordomo uttered, referring to the instructions he had received from the count upon leaving the hacienda.
"What? Oh, yes… Of course!" De Soto uttered, and, dismounting, hurried to instruct his men to release the elderly caballero.
ZZZ
"I understand I owe you my freedom," Don Alejandro said at finding the count in the library upon his return to the hacienda.
"All I did was point out to the alcalde that he had no good reason to arrest you," the younger man answered as he dismissed Rafael with a hand gesture and a subtle smile.
"Pedro recounted to me that you made him come here…"
"I've learned, Don Alejandro, that officials such as De Soto fear one thing above all other: power. I could have gone to the pueblo, of course, but that would have been a sign of weakness. And I don't like to show weakness. Certainly not to men like our esteemed alcalde."
"Have you met many men like him?"
"There are not many men in possession of an equally wretched character," the count uttered, and the caballero found it strange that he had already formed the right opinion of the alcalde despite having only just met the man. "But I did, indeed, once meet one who was a lot like him…" the count continued, having also realized his mistake. "A fellow schoolmate of mine… It taught me a lot about how to deal with such men."
Don Alejandro nodded as he sat down, only to stand up when, no more than a minute later, Maria announced that lunch was served.
"Shall we?" the younger man asked with a smile.
"I am inclined to think, Don Sebastian, that you only helped me out because you don't like eating alone," the elderly caballero remarked in jest.
The count chuckled. "Well, for years I ate alone." He replied. "So yes, I have to admit that I would rather have your company."
The older man smiled at his words, then sat down, suddenly becoming serious. "In such case, I am sorry to say, you will soon need to find another to dine with." He informed his host.
"And why is that?"
"Because I have decided to leave Los Angeles. I have remained, you see, for Victoria, when I should have gone in search of my son. I lost him. I will never see him again; but I don't intend to repeat my mistake. All I have left is Felipe, so I will go look for him, and I will do all in my power to make sure he is safe."
Fariz was just serving his master as the older don uttered those words, and looked worriedly towards the young man. The count's subtle hand gesture succeeded in reassuring him.
"Had you gone searching for your son, in such perilous times, you could have been killed in Spain, Señor, and that would have helped no one." He said on a tone that accepted no rebuke. "Trust me when I say I truly believe it better that you remained here instead. And, while I understand that you feel deeply about the boy, in this particular situation, I would counsel patience."
"Patience? Felipe had been rotting in the Devil's Fortress while I just sat here, waiting for news. I was not there to protect him; to prevent him from falling prey to injustice. I should have never let him leave with that woman! I should have forced her to prove that she truly was his mother. What happened to him was my fault, and I need to put things right!"
"What happened to him was, as you said, an injustice. A horrible injustice, caused by greed and stupidity… But you are not at fault for it." The count contradicted him.
"Sure I am! I could have prevented all that! And, unless I do something now, unless I find him, every hardship he'll go through from now on will also be my fault!" Don Alejandro insisted.
The count fell silent for a moment as he reconsidered his approach. "And what will you do? If you find him – not that you have much chance, considering how vast the territory is – if you do find him, then what?" he calmly asked.
"I don't know! I'll think about it when the time comes. Right now, all I know is that I cannot just sit and do nothing!"
The younger man inwardly smiled. He was on the right track. "That is not what I am suggesting." He said. "Señor de Amo is currently in San Diego with an errand for me. I will write to him and have him look into Felipe's case. First we'll see him acquitted, then we'll see about making sure you have the chance to embrace the boy once more."
The caballero hesitated. "And until then?"
"Let him take care of himself. He's done it so far… If he has not been captured yet, he must be well hidden. Trying to find the boy will only put him in danger." The count cautioned. "Both the alcalde and the commander surely expect you to go search for him, and will have you followed if you do."
Don Alejandro nodded. "I didn't consider that… But every day of inaction… I can't just sit and wait…" the elderly caballero said, clearly frustrated.
"Sometimes, waiting is better than acting; certainly when one has no plan to act upon."
Don Alejandro shook his head. "I… I never was one to accept powerlessness."
"And neither will you now. It's not what I'm suggesting. But these things take time."
"I'm not sure the boy has much time… Who knows where he is…"
The count became pensive for a few moments, then sighed.
"A boy like the one you have described to me must be quite resilient, especially after all that he's been through. However, while Señor de Amo tries to clear his name, I guess I could also have some of my men search for him. Discreetly and without arising suspicions."
Don Alejandro seemed hesitant.
"You do not trust my word?" the count asked
"I… I do. I do, Your Excellency…" he said.
"Then we are in agreement?"
"Perhaps… But, first, allow me one question."
"I'm listening."
"Why? Why are you so set on helping me, Don Sebastian?"
"I'm only trying to help a boy who, based on your account, must be innocent."
"Yes, but that's not all you have done for me… You bought this hacienda from me, at a much higher price than it was truly worth; allowed me to remain here and manage the ranch, even after your arrival; and you had the alcalde free me. You've done all this despite the fact that you barely know me…"
The count stood up and paced the room a little. "I didn't buy the hacienda. My lawyer did, and it was also him to set the price and take the decision to have you manage it. I certainly agree with all those decisions, but they were hardly my own. I allowed you to stay because I enjoy your company; and I had the alcalde free you because he had no right to arrest you in the first place," he said.
The caballero did not seem convinced, so the count continued. "However, there is also a confession I must make," he uttered as he stopped pacing the room and turned to look at the elderly man. "Truth be told, Don Alejandro, I have known you my entire life…"