by Peter David
“But you have other plans.”
Del Riego nodded. “Other patriots are coming here so we can meet in seclusion, without the notion that the king is spying on us. We are gathering here to convene and discuss how we can exert power over Ferdinand to grant decision matters to a council rather than himself.”
“So this council would effectively be the true rulers of Spain. The king would be merely a figurehead.”
“It is certainly not an unprecedented arrangement in the modern world,” del Riego said. “You can be of great help to me, Juan.”
“Me? How? I am no one of importance outside of Los Angeles.”
“That may be true, but you can aid me in another manner. I need a place to gather the men. Nowhere in town, because the king has spies everywhere. I need a hacienda somewhere that is off by itself. There my allies will gather and we will be able to speak in privacy.”
A slow smile spread across Quintero’s face. “I know exactly the place. Have you heard the name Don Alejandro de la Vega?”
“Of course I have,” said del Riego. “One of the most powerful Dons in the region. Does he have a place that would serve?”
“He most certainly does,” Quintero told him.
“Then we must go there immediately.”
“Not a problem,” said Quintero. He leaned out the window of the coach and slapped it loudly to get the driver’s attention. The driver slowed the horses and looked down expectantly. “Take us to the de la Vega hacienda.”
“Yes, sir,” said the driver, and he snapped the reins on the horses to get them moving again.
“Are you familiar enough with them that you can simply appear at their doorstep?” said del Riego.
“Oh, believe me,” said Quintero. “They always welcome company.”
***
Diego hated to admit it, but he was finding this “Maria” to be quite a sweet woman.
Her attitude, her behavior, her overall manner indicated that she was not some empty-headed female. She spoke fondly of her late husband, but at the same time she kept her attention focused on Don Alejandro. She did not compliment him effusively as if she was trying to play to his ego, but instead engaged both him and Diego with intelligent discussion of modern day concerns. To be honest, Diego felt as if she were intelligent enough to be a man.
And his father! He could not recall a time when Don Alejandro had smiled so consistently. He was clearly enjoying the time with her.
They had had a light supper and were now back in the sitting room. Maria was telling them some fascinating stories about her time, however brief, in the court of Spain. Her late husband had apparently been quite popular with the king and her insights into his royal highness were fascinating. The truth was that Diego never gave much thought to Spain. His focus was on California: on the corrupt government and the governor who continued to target Zorro, who was simply operating as a champion of the people. If the governor only assigned someone worthwhile to be the head of local law enforcement, there would be no need for the masked man.
“Diego? What do you think?”
Maria’s voice snapped Diego back to the conversation. He had not been paying attention to what she had just been saying, and he wouldn’t serve himself well if he tried to bluff his way through. “Truthfully, Senora, my mind was elsewhere,” he admitted.
Alejandro guffawed at that. “Doubtless conceiving some new rhyme, eh, son?”
“Just so, father,” said Diego. “Pray, indulge me, Maria: What do I think of what?”
“Of the odds of Ferdinand surviving his kingship,” she said readily. “Mark my words, a civil war is brewing. People are going to have to determine which side they are on.”
“I really have no opinion on the matter,” said Diego. “The affairs of Spain are half a world away. Were I interested in politics, I would be far more focused on those of the local variety.”
“But you are not interested?” Maria sounded vaguely disappointed, as if Diego had let her down somehow.
“My only interest is getting on well with those in authority,” said Diego. “Beyond that I really don’t feel it’s my place to get involved.”
Alejandro smiled thinly at that. Diego knew once upon a time such statements would gnaw away at his father, who felt nothing but shame for having such a detached fop as a son. Now, though, Alejandro knew Diego was merely posturing in order to remove any suspicions that might attach to him about his double identity.
And that raised another interesting question. What if Maria became more than a visitor? What if she became a permanent fixture? Sooner or later, Diego would have to reveal his identity to her. Could she be trusted with it? Granted, Diego had trusted his own late wife with the truth of his identity, but Lolita had been a very special young woman. Maria seemed decent enough, but Diego knew nothing of her ability to keep such an important secret. His father and he had worked hard to undo the knowledge of Diego being Zorro as far as the people were concerned. His original unmasking (at the end of his first adventure) was now widely perceived as a trick on Zorro’s part to fool the general populace as to his true identity. Diego did not embrace the notion of Maria undoing that trickery and causing them no end of subsequent problems. But how could he know what secrets she was capable of keeping without trusting her to do so?
But then Diego’s attention was distracted by the sounds of horses’ hooves and wagon wheels that indicated some manner of carriage had arrived outside the house. Apparently Bernardo heard it as well as he hastened through the sitting room to the front door. A minute later Bernardo reentered the room and said, “Captain Quintero and a man I do not know.”
“Quintero seems unable to stay away this day,” Don Alejandro said drily. “Perhaps we should set up a room for him as well. Show them in, Bernardo.”
Bernardo bobbed his head and left the room. Shortly thereafter he walked back in, escorting Quintero and the unknown individual with him.
“Don Alejandro de la Vega … Don Diego de la Vega,” said Quintero stiffly. “It is my honor to present to you Lieutenant Colonel Rafael del Riego y Florez.”
Diego and his father had both automatically risen to their feet when the two men came in, but now Alejandro took a step forward and thrust out a hand of greeting. “Lieutenant Colonel! This is indeed an honor. Tales of your exploits have traveled even to far off regions such as here.”
“That’s very generous of you,” said del Riego. “The captain here has told me many stories about your abode. I was hoping you could give me a brief overview of the place.”
“I would be delighted to,” said Don Alejandro. “Come with me.”
“Mind if I join you?” said Maria.
Del Riego glanced at her up and down. “We have not been introduced. You are … ?”
“Maria Garcia Lopez,” she said.
He delicately took her hand as if it was a fragile flower and kissed her on the knuckles.
“Greetings, Senora. It is an honor.”
“The honor is all mine,” she said.
“Please join us.”
“Of course.”
Don Alejandro, del Riego and Maria departed the room, leaving Diego and Quintero behind. Diego flopped back into his chair as if the mere act of standing had exhausted him. “So many visitors this day. What possible reason would the lieutenant commander have for joining us?”
Quintero paused as if uncertain how much or what he should say in response to the question. Finally he settled on, “He wishes to have a home to organize a meeting.”
“What sort of meeting?”
“I have no idea,” said Quintero.
Diego immediately knew the captain was lying. His “tells” were quite evident: his eyes darted back and forth, and he crossed his arms over his chest as if protecting himself. Those were the typical giveaways Quintero was being less than candid. Then again, perhaps he had a solid reason this time. It could be that del Riego had warned him to keep confidence and so Quintero was merely following orders.
He decided to change the subject.
“You know, Captain, we have wound up spending so much time together this day, it almost gives me a feeling of what having a brother would be like.”
Quintero forced a fast smile. “That is very kind of you to say.”
“Of course, not having a brother, it is purely up to my imagination of what that would be like. Tell me, Captain, do you have any siblings?”
It was purely an off-hand question, something Diego had just casually asked to keep the conversation going.
But to his astonishment, Quintero’s glance once more darted from side to side and yet again he crossed his arms on his chest. “No,” he said. “I am an only child.”
He was lying.
Why on Earth would he lie about a question as unchallenging as that? It made no sense at all.
Perhaps Quintero had had some manner of falling out with his sibling and so discussion of his brother or sister was something he simply did not wish to engage in. Still, why did he lie? He could simply have dismissed the question out of hand, or say something vague such as, “Yes, I have a brother, but we haven’t spoken in years.” That would certainly terminate the discussion expeditiously.
Rather than press the topic, however, Diego mentally shrugged it off and changed the subject. They chatted for several minutes about this and that, pointless things that would not allow for any dispute or argument.
Then they heard the sounds of the returning feet of Don Alejandro and the people he was escorting. “What a magnificent home!” del Riego was praising his guide. “The wine cellar in the basement! The charming array of rooms you have. This place will more than satisfy my purposes.”
That was a statement that Diego could not possibly allow to slip by. “And what exactly are those purposes, if you do not mind my asking, Lieutenant Colonel?”
Del Riego cleared his throat and stood stiffly. “I intend to hold a meeting in this place, Don Diego. I cannot tell you more than that because it would compromise both you and your father.”
“Certainly my father will become aware of the specifics when the meeting is convened,” Diego pointed out.
“That is a valid point, Don Diego,” and del Riego turned his attention to Don Alejandro. “I will need you to vacate the hacienda, Alejandro. Immediately.”
“Evacuate?” Don Alejandro clearly could not believe it. “You are asking me to vacate my own home?”
“I am not asking you, Senor. I am telling you. If you wish, I am ordering you.”
“You have no authority over me!” Don Alejandro’s fists were clenched and his voice was trembling with barely contained fury.
“As a spokesman on behalf of your king, I am afraid I do have exactly that,” del Riego said. “You, and Diego, and any servants. I will need you to depart this building, as I said, immediately. I will require the sole occupation of this house for, I would say, two days.”
“And where am I supposed to go?” demanded Alejandro.
“As I recall,” Quintero quickly spoke up, “Diego has his own home in town. Certainly your son could put you up there.”
For once in his life, Don Diego de la Vega was caught with no immediate response. His mouth moved but only a faint grunt emerged from his lips.
“I would never ask that of my son!” Don Alejandro said. “This place is the de la Vega home!”
“For the next forty eight hours, it is not,” del Riego told him.
Finally Diego found something to say. “My city home has only a fraction of the rooms that this one has. Yes, I would have room for my father, but there would be no place for Maria to stay.”
“I would never dream of displacing a lady,” del Riego said, bowing to Maria. “I would simply ask the lady to steer clear of my guests and not involve herself with any of our discussions.”
“That would not present a problem, Senor,” she said with a curtsy.
Don Alejandro looked thunder struck. “The woman may remain but not the men?! This is an outrage!”
“If you were here, Don Alejandro,” del Riego said with much forced patience, “there is no doubt in my mind that you would insert yourself into our discussions. Indeed, your very presence would compromise our security. A woman is capable of keeping to herself, but you will unquestionably make your presence known. And you would be right to do so,” he added hastily, “since this house is your domain. So that is why you and your servants must vacate immediately. I am afraid that is all there is to this discussion.”
Don Alejandro’s face began to purple. Diego was getting worried; it seemed to him his father was working himself into some manner of fit. If he did not gather his wits, and quickly, he might actually collapse from the strain this discussion was having upon him. He placed a hand on Alejandro’s arm and whispered sharply, “Father, calm yourself! Gather your wits! It is only for a couple of days. We must trust someone in the lieutenant colonel’s position. We have no choice other than to obey. Lieutenant Colonel,” he continued, keeping his voice flat and even. “May I recommend that you keep my servant, Bernardo, here. He is deaf and thus cannot possibly pose a threat to any of your confidentiality. That way you will still have some help around the domicile.”
“That is very generous of you,” said del Riego. “But I’m afraid I must insist that everyone depart.”
Diego cursed inwardly. He had counted on leaving Bernardo behind to serve as his personal spy as to what del Riego was up to. But it seemed del Riego was far too clever for that.
It also said something else to Diego. The lieutenant colonel was not simply concerned with keeping confidential matters under wraps. Were that the case, he would gladly have accepted the prospect of Bernardo remaining behind. What it said to Diego was that del Riego was planning to do something that he did not desire witnesses to.
Well, no witness, save for Maria …
Was she in on it? The very notion seemed absurd. Coincidence was once more rearing its ugly head. Could it be Maria had just so happened to encounter Don Alejandro in the square, and gotten herself invited to the hacienda, specifically so she could just so happen to be there when an unannounced herald of the king made his presence known and opted to take over the home for himself?
It makes no sense, it makes no sense Diego kept telling himself. Yet he could not help but think that on some level it made perfect sense … that the arrivals of Maria and del Riego were not merely two unrelated happenstances. But then what in the world was he up to?
“Father!” he said sharply, because he could sense Don Alejandro’s arm becoming tense beneath his fingers. It seemed as if Don Alejandro was ready to come to blows with this soldier. That was not an encounter Diego was anxious to witness, because he saw the bulge of a gun beneath the curves of del Riego’s tailored coat, and he very much suspected del Riego would not hesitate to use it if Don Alejandro launched any manner of attack. And del Riego doubtless knew Quintero would be on his side in any such altercation. Quintero would declare it to be self-defense, and that would be the end of the story, and also the end of Don Alejandro.
His father’s face snapped around and glared into Diego’s eyes. Diego spoke very softly to him the words, “We must go.” But his gaze at his father conveyed much that the words did not. Something is desperately wrong here, and I swear, Senor Zorro will learn what it is.
It seemed as if he was incapable of conveying so much thought simply through a stare into his father’s face, yet somehow it appeared he had accomplished it. Don Alejandro took in a deep breath of air and then let it out slowly. “As you say, Diego. It is only for a short time, and the least we can do out of respect to the Lieutenant Commander’s endeavors for Spain.”
Diego nodded approvingly. He could discern what his father was thinking: Look into this.
“I firmly agree,” said Diego.
***
It took several hours for the de la Vegas to gather their belongings. Eventually, as the sun was beginning to set
on the horizon, Don Diego and Alejandro de la Vega rode away from the hacienda, along with their servants who were gathered in the back of a wagon.
Maria stood on the front porch alongside del Riego, waving her goodbyes until their figures had vanished in the distance.
The moment they knew of a certainty that they were alone, she turned and leaped into del Riego’s arms, and they kissed passionately. It went on for long moments, and when they finally separated for breath, he said, “Perfect. You were perfect.”
“As were you,” she said, tossing off a mocking salute to him. “No problem?”
“None whatsoever. So … where do they keep digging tools around here?”
“In a shed out back.”
“Let’s get some pick axes and shovels. More crewmembers will be here in a while to aid in the digging..” And he grinned widely. “I hope that the prospect of hard work will not be problematic for you, my love.”
“Hardly. But out of curiosity, how long a while do you expect them to be?”
“An hour. Why? What … ?”
She smiled up at him and stroked his face invitingly.
“Ah. So you say.”
They retired to the nearest bedroom.
Chapter Six
Zorro and an old “friend”
Don Diego had no intention of continuing on the ride back to his home in the village. His thoughts were already wandering ahead as far as his scheme was concerned.
Indeed, he was no more than ten minutes from the hacienda he had just left when he said, “Blast! I left my favorite book of poems behind.”
