It was still early November when one of Don Alejandro's friends threw a dinner party at his house in honor of his cousin and his family, who had stopped in Los Angeles for a few days. He sent invitations to twelve of his closest friends and the Count – seeing how the young nobleman was too important to ignore, and no one wanted to risk offending him. The young man, however, was traveling to Santa Barbara, so his mayordomo made sure to send his regrets to Don Alejandro.

The evening was cheerful and the good cheer persisted till morning, the elderly caballero only returning home, exhausted, around 6 a.m., a fact he couldn't help but brag about some two days later when his host returned.

"I am sorry to have missed it," the Count said upon his return after Don Alejandro had recounted all about the soiree.

"Yes, it's quite a shame," the don replied, sincerely regretful.

The count nodded with a smile. "I do bring good news, though," he said. "I have convinced the abbot in Santa Barbara to send us a padre for our Mission here. I will have some of my men accompany him for protection, and I have already given orders for the works on the Mission to start tomorrow. We'll see it returned to its former glory by the time the new padre arrives."

"Really? But that is, indeed, very good news!" The elderly don remarked with a large smile.

"Yes. The padre should be here in about a week."

"Then this will surely be a good Christmas!"

ZZZ

The news about the arrival of a new padre – one that would take over running Saint Gabriel's Mission and, of course, the pueblo's church spread like wildfire amongst the Los Angelinos. There were praises for the Count on everyone's lips and there were many those who wanted to support his efforts. Men volunteered to join his workers, while many of the pueblo's women organized to clean the Mission's rooms. In their turn, several of the dons found that the best way for them to contribute was by organizing their own men to start making sure the church and the building of the now-deserted orphanage were also repaired and ready to welcome their new priest.

Victoria, on the other hand, though she had planned to spend most of late November and Early December (when, because of the Christmas fast, clients were normally fewer) cleaning the tavern and putting things in order, found herself busier than ever, seeing how all the people working on the church and the orphanage came to eat at her tavern during lunchtime.

The day the new padre was due to arrive, some forty people gathered in the plaza to welcome the man.

Instead, it was the Viscount of Castillo de Almansa who enjoyed their welcoming, the padre having decided to see the Mission before heading for the pueblo.

The nobleman, who was in his early 40s, had come accompanied by 10 Royal Guardsmen, arriving in Los Angeles around midday.

De Soto, recognizing him, hurried to send for Risendo before ordering Mendoza to see to the guardsmen while he invited the Viscount to his office.

"A glass of wine?" the Alcalde politely asked his guest after inviting him to sit down.

"I'd rather have some water. Cold." The nobleman replied.

De Soto hurried to pour him some, congratulating himself for having ordered his men to bring him a fresh jar just about 20 minutes earlier. Handing him the glass, he sat down.

"I have sent one of the men to inform Colonel Risendo of your arrival." De Soto said. "Shall I also inform the Count of Dragonera? I assume you'll want to see him while you are here…"

"The Count of Dragonera? I've heard of him. I understand he's as rich as a sultan, and, I must admit, I am curious to meet the man." The Viscount said.

"I will make sure you'll have the chance," he assured the Viscount. "I understand he's done a great service to our king." He continued, unable to think of anything else to say next.

"Indeed, he has. King Ferdinand is certainly glad not to worry about filling the coffers anymore…"

It was some 30 minutes later when Gilberto arrived, and the viscount, together with some of his men, accompanied him back to his hacienda.

"I wanted to see for myself what challenges our king's interests face here, in California," the viscount said shortly after having installed himself in the only guestroom Gilberto could offer him, while he was drinking a glass of wine with the two Risendos. "But, from what I've seenn, there's no sign of trouble, which makes me wonder about the reason for such exaggerations. Especially coming from you, Risendo."

"Hardly an exaggeration, Your Excellency!" Señora Risendo replied instead. "Many of the landowners here would rather fight for independence than continue to pay taxes. Why, otherwise, would they oppose the taxes aimed at supporting the king's efforts to return peace to the colonies?"

"Indeed." Gilberto agreed as an idea occurred to him. "Now they even have a masked outlaw doing their bidding, and preventing legitimate tax collections from the people of Los Angeles."

"What outlaw?" the nobleman asked.

"He calls himself El Zorro. A very gifted swordsman from what De Soto recounted to me. Neither he nor any of his men managed to fight him for longer than a minute before being disarmed. I, myself, was never given the chance to fight him, but I did meet him once. Since then, I couldn't escape the feeling that he was a caballero. He's far too well educated to be a commoner, and no farmer could afford the stallion he is riding or the silk shirts he wears."

"You're saying that there is a conspiracy by the Californian dons… A rebellion in the making?" the viscount asked.

"All evidence points to that being the case here. It even explains the presence of the infamous Joaquin Correna in the territory."

The viscount looked dumbfounded. "That scum and his men are here?"

"De Soto informed me that a report from San Diego arrived just yesterday mentioning they had attacked several munition cargos recently," Gilberto replied.

"I see. Then I come at the most opportune time. We must seek out those guilty of treason, and eliminate them… The king will be quite grateful, I am sure." The nobleman said. "Have you found out what I wanted to know about this Conde de Dragonera?"

"Yes… And, from what I found out, his interests and King Ferdinand's are aligned. The Count has, it seems, acquired a large amount of Spanish bonds, and the true reason why he is here is to make sure they increase their value."

"He's an ally, then…"

"It seems so."

"Excellent!"

"There is, however, one minor issue I find worrisome…" Gilberto said.

"Oh? And what is that?"

"Well, his lawyer bought a hacienda from a don who might very well turn out to be one of the traitors we were talking about earlier. A Don Alejandro de la Vega."

"Don Alejandro de la Vega? The name sounds familiar…"

"His father-in-law was The Count de Lara, a good friend to King Ferdinand's grandfather. He also served our king's father for a while, before quitting the Navy."

"I see… But what does our Count of Dragonera have to do with the man from whom he bought his ranch?"

"The don still lives in his house. It was an understanding he had made with the lawyer. He was to be allowed to remain there and take care of the estate. He's practically a capataz, but I understand everyone working there continues to treat him just as they treat their master."

"I see… And is it not possible that the Count decided to keep him close in order to monitor his activities?"

"Ah… I guess that might be possible… Though, if that is so, he hides it well…"

"He's a smart man, Gilberto. From what I hear, King Ferdinand was so impressed with him that he considered offering him an office. At the time, he manifested no interest in politics, but who is to say what the man's plans are?"

"Surely he's more interested in how to increase his fortune even more…" Señora Risendo said.

"That must be so…" the Viscount agreed. "Whatever the case, now that I am here we'll make sure no rebels are left in California. And we'll get rid of this Zorro, too!"

Gilberto nodded, a smile on his lips, then raised his glass in sign of agreement, a gesture his mother imitated.

ZZZ

From atop a hill, the Count, Rafael and Don Alejandro were admiring the valley before them.

"Most floods originate in these plains." The elderly caballero pointed out. "They are usually not that bad, to tell the truth.

"But, on occasion, the waters can reach as far as the pueblo, or cause quicksand. A few years ago, the waters washed away several of the houses on the outskirts of the village. It was quite bad. I remember that, after things returned to normal, there were even discussions to move Los Angeles onto higher grounds. A few years before that, several of the haciendados lost animals to the quicksand, so they started asking their servants to check the area first, thus risking their lives, before guiding the animals there…"

"It was really that bad?" Rafael asked.

"Yes. Several animals, including some of my cattle and a filly, were caught in the quicksand. The filly was all we could save. And several of the vaqueros were also close to being swollen by the quicksand." The elderly don said.

"I am sorry to hear that." The count replied. "Perhaps we can make sure that never happens again. Not here, at least." Guiding his horse ahead as the other two men followed him, he studied the land for a while. "If we build the dam here, we can control the water flow. We'll be able to prevent future floods and, at the same time, make sure there is a permanent water source the people can use for irrigation, even during the rainless summer months, when the wells run dry."

"Indeed. That would be ideal. But there is a problem with your plan, Don Sebastian," the elderly caballero replied.

"The royal edict prohibiting the building of dams on private land?"

"Exactly."

"There is a way around it, fortunately."

Don Alejandro seemed confused at hearing that. "What way?" he asked.

"I could donate the land to the pueblo."

"You would do that?"

"I have enough land. The dam seems more important than me keeping all of it." The count said with a smile.

"But the dam will cut access to your lands to the east," Rafael pointed out.

"After it is built, those lands will stretch for only a couple of square miles. Fertile land we could turn into a place for all to enjoy." Guiding the horse further towards a hill, he again studied the grounds. "There," he said, extending his arm towards the south, "would be the ideal place for a shallow lake people could use for fishing and bathing. We could also plant some more trees… Perhaps using seeds from the ones we brought from the Caribbean and South America. In time, this land could become a botanical garden that could rival our own... "

"A place for everyone to enjoy…" Don Alejandro said dreamily. "That would be wonderful!"

The Count smiled at him and at Rafael, then dismounted to better study the land, in his mind's eyes already seeing it as it could one day become.

About two hours later, as he headed for town to talk to De Soto about his plans, Don Alejandro and Rafael, who had accompanied him, headed for the tavern, just in time to notice people taking out the tables and bringing chairs from the nearby houses.

"What's going on?" the caballero asked the innkeeper.

"A circus arrived this morning. Tonight, they'll have a show right here, at the tavern," she replied with a smile.

"A circus?" Rafael asked, trying to make sure he had heard right.

"Yes. Their wagons are behind the municipal stables."

"Well, then, count us in for the show!" Don Alejandro said. "But, to be fair, I came hoping to meet the new padre. Do you know if he's arrived yet?"

"He has. He's already seen the Mission and is now inspecting the church." Victoria answered. "And a viscount also arrived from Spain this morning. He's hosted at Don Gilberto's Hacienda."

"A viscount? You know his name?" Rafael asked.

"Not really. He didn't introduce himself and the alcalde seemed to already know him."

The mayordomo nodded, a worried look on his face. Moments later, as he glanced around the tavern, his eyes resting on the face of a young woman. She was no older than Victoria, slender and beautiful. Rafael, however, frowned at seeing her, for she was also someone he had met before.

"It is agreed," the Count's voice interrupted his musings, and he turned towards his master. "The alcalde agreed to my plan as long as I finance all the works."

"Of course, he'd agree to that!" Don Alejandro said. "Then he will take all the credit for your deeds!"

"That hardly matters as long as they have the intended effect, and people will benefit from them." The Count replied, then looked around. "But what's going on?"

"A circus arrived in Los Angeles. They will have a presentation here, tonight!" Victoria, who neared him as soon as he entered, hurried to inform him.

"Oh, Señorita!" he said, smiling at her as he nodded his greetings. "Do you think you might reserve some seats for us and Fariz, in that case?"

"I already have," she replied with a charming smile.

"That is most appreciated. At what time will they start?"

"At 7."

"Then, perhaps, we'd better return home to change. We'll see you in a couple of hours. Until, then, Señorita!" The Count said.

"Until then," Victoria replied as she turned around, and headed for the kitchen.

The nobleman watched her go, then, after parting with Don Alejandro, who remained to discuss some deals with two of his friends, he and his mayordomo exited the tavern.

ZZZ

"We need to talk." Rafael uttered as soon as they exited the pueblo.

"What about?"

"A Viscount came to the pueblo."

"Castillo de Almansa. Gilberto's protector. Yes, De Soto already informed me of his presence." The Count replied.

"Did he also happen to mention why the man is here?"

"He didn't seem to know. But I do have a suspicion…" Hurrying the pace, he guided his friend towards the back entrance to the cave. Once inside, where they could talk at ease, they took off their disguises.

"Well?" Emmanuel asked.

Diego headed for the desk they had installed in the cave, opened a drawer, and pulled out a note, handing it to his friend.

"When did this arrive?" Emmanuel asked after glancing at it.

"A few days ago. While you were in Santa Paula."

"And you didn't think it was important enough to mention it?"

"You only returned yesterday evening. I didn't get around to tell you about it. Besides, I hardly find it worrisome news…"

"He's looking for rebels," Emmanuel contradicted him as he finished reading the message.

"He's not going to find them here," Diego assured him.

"I fear he just might…"

"What do you mean?"

"Today, in the tavern, I saw… I saw Zafira!"

"Ricardo's little sister?"

"Precisely."

"Why would she be here? You think her brother is also with her?"

"I don't know. I did not see him. But, last I heard of him, Ricadro was in Segovia, fighting the French as part of a guerrilla group led by a man called Joaquin Correna!"

"Not the Joaquin Correna wanted all over this territory!"

Emmanuel just gave his friend a certain look indicating that was exactly the Correna he was talking about.

"If that is so, Zafira's presence in Los Angeles can't be just a coincidence…" Diego concluded.

"No. It would be too much of a coincidence."

"Then we must find out where they are, and what they plan, preferably before that Viscount gets wind of their presence here…"

Emmanuel nodded, then shook his head. "But how? We can't talk to her, or we risk being discovered. And she's seen us wearing disguises… For all we know she could recognize us just by seeing us."

"I doubt that. Not even my father recognized me." Diego pointed out. "However, I think the Count shall not accompany you to the circus show, tonight, Emmanuel, seeing how Zorro has work to do."

"But haven't you already promised Victoria? And how will we account for your absence?"

"I will blame indigestion. Tell everyone that I need sleep and to be left alone! As for Victoria, I guess I will have to make it up to her." Diego uttered with a smile.

"And if Zafira recognizes me?"

"Had I not contributed to your disguise, I, myself, wouldn't recognize you, Emmanuel. So I doubt anyone else will, including Zafira, who hasn't seen you in years." Diego assured him as he started unbuttoning his shirt.

Emmanuel nodded rather reticently, and, putting back on his disguise, headed towards the stairs leading to the library when, suddenly, he stopped and turned back. "Diego," he said, "earlier, in town, I remember hearing Sergeant Mendoza mentioning that he and most of the garrison would be heading for the port today to accompany a shipment. He didn't say what they were accompanying, but whatever it was, their absence means that the pueblo is mostly undefended. The Viscount's men are also staying at the Risendo Hacienda… "

"You are right…" his friend agreed. "A perfect time to strike a blow against the authorities… or… against a certain Viscount who's known to be a close friend of the king's and a merciless enemy to all rebels."

ZZZ

About fifty people gathered at the tavern that evening to see the circus. Many of them, however, also hoped to watch the Count and the Viscount interact, as the presence of two noblemen there, at the same time, was not only rare but unheard of. Besides that, news also rapidly spread amongst the caballeros that the circus' magician was a ravishing young woman, so, naturally, that news attracted many of the single men in the territory.

"Ah, Señor Montoya!" De Soto greeted the Count's mayordomo as he entered the tavern. "Has the Count arrived yet?" he asked.

On his way there, the Alcalde had seen that the Viscount was nearing the pueblo in Riendo's carriage, and was hoping to be the one to introduce the two noblemen especially since, given the fact that Gilberto risked being chased with a broom if he dared show his face at the tavern, Ignacio correctly concluded he wouldn't be attending the night's event.

"I'm afraid not. My master was not feeling well, and preferred to remain at the hacienda," he replied.

Ignacio looked genuinely disappointed. "That's a shame. I hoped I'd have the honor of introducing him to the Viscount," he uttered as he turned his head a little to glance at the entrance. He was just about to leave, when Rafael grabbed his arm, stopping him in place. De Soto turned and looked at him in confusion.

"That mark on your neck…" Rafael uttered. "You were in a fire?"

"Ah… Yes…" De Soto said, taking a hand to his scar. "Some years back, a few rebels decided to burn down the garrison where I and my men were stationed. On Christmas Eve, no less… Many people were gravely injured at the time. I was lucky to only make it out with a small scar."

"I heard of such an incident: Barcelona, Christmas Eve of 1808, I believe. There was a shootout, too, if I remember right."

"Yes. The men under my command were ambushed as they tried to escape the flames. One was shot in the shoulder and almost lost his life; the others were also severely injured, all of them losing at least a limb. Arms, legs… It was a massacre." De Soto said.

"A massacre?" Rafael asked, considering De Soto either didn't know the real meaning of that term or just chose to ignore it. "And how did you escape?" he wondered.

"I exited through the back. He was gone by the time I got to my men." Ignacio said.

Rafael smiled knowingly. "Well, you really should consider yourself lucky to still be alive, then. Had the shooter seen you, he would have most probably aimed for the heart."

"Yes." Ignacio replied, feeling a cold shiver down his spine caused, no doubt, by his interlocutor's tone. "But excuse me," he continued as he noticed the Viscount entering the tavern, completely forgetting that conversation just moments later.

Rafael continued to stare after him for a while, hate clear in his eyes, before heading for Victoria to convey the Count's regards and apologies for not being able to be there that evening. About ten minutes later, as the commencement was announced, he found a seat next to Don Alejandro, and curiously watched the show.

From the tavern's second floor, Zorro did precisely the same. And, as each performer did his act, the feeling that something was amiss kept growing inside the mind of the black-clad man, until he finally decided to stop paying attention to what was happening in the tavern. Heading out through a nearby window, he made his way towards the municipal stables, and then towards the nearest circus wagon, just in time to spot four of the men who had already finished their performances sneaking out of the pueblo. Mounting the horses they had left about 200 feet downhill, they soon made their way west.

"They should be close by now, so we won't be long. Just remember you need to keep them entertained for at least an hour. Nando will let you know when to stop," a sixth man told a young woman before kissing her on the lips and following his compadres.

From where he was standing, it was not hard for Zorro to distinguish Zafira's face as she remained watching the five men. When they disappeared behind a bend in the road, she reentered the wagon, and exited again just a few moments later, heading for the tavern.

"Where are you going?" the masked man wondered, as he also watched the five men leave. Yet, as soon as those whispered words escaped his lips, the answer dawned on him. "The shipment!" he muttered before hurriedly making his way towards Tornado.