The Secret of Zorro This Is Your Family Chapter Six by Ella Christian @1999-2002 Contact author at EllaChristian@aol.com Chapter Six The Piņata As he put on the mask, Zorro looked at his companion in the small, candlelit room beyond the walls of the young de la Vegas' bedroom. "I shall have a word with our Lieutenant while he is still here," Zorro said. "And after that I must try to find the Bottegas...or perhaps I should say the Espositos, before he manages to find them. Saddle Phantom." Bernardo nodded, offering the sword to the masked man. Then the mozo frowned. "What?" Zorro asked, shoving his sword into the scabbard. He reached for his hat. Bernardo handed it over, and then pointed at the door, in the direction of the patio. He pointed at his ring finger, then at Zorro, indicating his sign for Elizabeth. He raised his hands as if not knowing what to say. "Tell her that...." Zorro paused for a moment, turning his hat in his hand while he thought. "Tell her that Diego will be back in time for tonight's party," he instructed. Bernardo nodded. In an afterthought, Zorro added, "Bernardo, tell her not to speak to my father until I get back." The servant looked at him, puzzled. "Do not worry, she will know what the message means. Now, go, prepare Phantom... he will have to run fast for me this evening." He patted his servant's back as Bernardo turned to hurry down the stairs. Then he donned his hat and followed. Reaching the point where Bernardo turned right to go to the cave where the white horse waited, Zorro turned left and continued until he was at the secret entrance to the library. He pulled aside the opening to the peephole and looked into the room. ***** Fed up with the chaos of a patio full of noisy children, a house full of nosey soldiers, and a granddaughter being monopolized by her other grandfather, Don Alejandro charged into the library to find Vilaro, intending to exert some authority somewhere by making the soldiers go away. He found the officer with Garcia and two other soldiers he did not know, both of whom wore Mexican uniforms. "I am sure you have found nothing of interest here, I am asking you kindly to leave!" Alejandro exclaimed. "Juan and Rosaria simply are not here, as you have by now discovered!" "But that does not mean they will neverrrrr be herrrre," Vilaro responded, sitting down at Alejandro's desk. He reached into his jacket pocket. Finding it empty, he reached over and opened Alejandro's box of prized Dominican cigars and lifted one out. The elder de la Vega's eyebrows rose and his eyes widened, anger at Vilaro's nerve forming on his face. Vilaro sniffed the cigar carefully, his eyes on Alejandro's face. "Ahhhh, these are from an especially good crrrrop of tobacco," he said. The don took a deep breath, attempting to contain the affront and indignity he felt. "Your bad manners do nothing to introduce your new uniform well to this community, sir," he stated. The two Mexican soldiers stepped forward; taking umbrage to any suggestion that might insult the uniform of their country. "Do not worrrrrry," Vilaro waved them down. "This old man has much to say and little to do." Alejandro's eyes widened furiously. Sergeant Garcia stepped forward, hoping to avert a major scene. "Commandante," he said to Vilaro, "Might I accompany Don Alejandro back to the patio so that he can enjoy little Esperanza's party a little more?" he asked. "I would like to wish her a happy birthday myself, since I am sure I will not be able to come back tonight as we will be searching for...." he paused, fumbled, and then said, "...searching for those we would not be searching for if I had not been..." "...such a baboso!" Vilaro joined him in the last three words, and then lit his cigar. "Yes, I think it would be a good idea to escort Don Alejandrrrro back outside, Serrrrgeant. I do not plan to be leaving anytime soon." He leaned back and puffed the cigar happily. "I believe the Bottegas will show up here tonight, and I will be waiting for them." This was too much for Don Alejandro. He pounded his open hand on his own desk and exclaimed, "What on earth do you want them for? This cannot possibly be about getting a man over 40 to join an army of..." he looked at the two young Mexicans standing near him, "of such youth!" "That is prrrrrrecisely why they want him, Seņor," Vilaro laughed. "And what does Juan Bottega have to contribute!? Are you going to train him at his age?" Alejandro bellowed. "Harrrrrrdly," Vilaro snorted. "He is needed to trrrrrain them!" In the secret passage a few feet away, El Zorro said, "Huh," to himself and shut the peephole. ****** Esperanza was having a fabulous time watching the older children playing with the piņata bat. Don Carlos and Maria managed her as she alternately crawled about on the patio and demanded to be picked up to watch as the shouts and whacks at the papier-mâché donkey proceeded. Elizabeth, with the help of Padre Felipe, blindfolded each child, spun them around a few times, and aimed them in the direction of the dangling treasure. In the first round, no one managed to break the treasure, though Frederico got one good whack in that left the piņata shuddering in the air. "I think that woke the piņata up," Padre Felipe said to Frederico with encouragement. "What do we do now, Doņa Elizabeth?" Rufino asked. "We have all had a turn and no one has broken it!" "I think you will have another turn, Rufino," she said. "But first we will let Esperanza open her present from her Chocho, all right?" Rufino considered that and said, "That is Don Carlos! All right, as long as she does not take too long." Looking around in hopes that Diego would re-appear, Elizabeth sighed and picked up her daughter from the patio. "I think you will have to do this without Daddy, sweetheart," she said. "I do not know what he is doing with those soldiers that is more important than you, but I am sure he would be here if he were not very busy." She then took the baby over to the table where the big present from Carlos awaited. "Let's see if Chocho will help us with this," she said, nodding at her father. "Oh, of course, Ranzita, I will help!" he said cheerfully. He held Esperanza on her feet as she started yanking at the yellow paper wrapping her big present. ****** Inside the hacienda, Vilaro was looking triumphantly at Don Alejandro. "So you see," he said, "We have no time to waste in finding your innkeeperrrrrrr, he is a man who is grrrrrrreatly needed in Mexico." "But Juan Bottega is not a soldier!" Alejandro said. Then his eyes shifted to beyond Vilaro. He took a slight step back, a strange look coming over his face. "So you imagine," Vilaro replied. He then stiffened suddenly, feeling the tip of a very sharp sword between his shoulderblades. The two soldiers near him started to draw their swords, seeing the black-cloaked figure behind him. "No!" Vilaro exclaimed. They stopped. "Turn around," a voice behind Vilaro instructed, emphasizing his instruction with a poke of the sword. Vilaro turned slowly, to see El Zorro standing before him. The sword tip was now pressed against the center of his chest. He looked down at it and then back at Zorro. "Seņor Zorrrrrro," he said slowly. "We meet again." "Si," Zorro nodded, a half-smile on his lips. "From your uniform I see that the Mexicans have use for you, Capitan, even if the Spanish do not." Alejandro took a small step forward. "He is a lieutenant now, Seņor Zorro." He looked at Vilaro. "And he seems intent on barging into private homes!" "Not the first time," Zorro commented. "Tell them all to get out," he told Vilaro, nodding at the soldiers and at Alejandro. "And tell them not to tell anyone I am here." "You heard him, get out!" Vilaro barked. "And keep quiet!" Alejandro hesitated. "You too, Seņor de la Vega," Zorro said. Alejandro looked a bit startled, but marched out ahead of the soldiers and pulled the door shut behind him once they were away. "I find it strange that Don Alejandro is more intent on getting me out of his house than you, a known bandito!" Vilaro said. "By now he has learned that I do not barge in unless there is a problem and I leave as soon as it is resolved, Lieutenant. And I do not bring soldiers with dirty boots into his house." He stepped back, eyeing Vilaro, keeping his sword pointed carefully but not quite so closely to the officer's breast. He cocked his head slightly to the side. "I could not help but overhear the conversation with Seņor de la Vega about Juan Bottega and his wife....it seems curious, that you would be so interested in a modest merchant from Los Angeles....what does he have to do with training the young soldiers of Mexico, may I ask?" "This is no concern of yours!" Vilaro exclaimed. "You have nothing to do with the army, you have nothing to do with the political situation! You are nothing but a dishonorable bandit who lacks the courage to reveal himself and meddles like an old woman where he does not belong!" For a moment Zorro said nothing, letting Vilaro's words resonate in the room. "You are full of insults for a man who could not keep a commission in the King's army," he finally observed. He walked to Vilaro's side, still keeping the sword at chest height. "I am going to tell you something, Vilaro, so listen to me. I know who Juan Esposito is and I know why you are seeking him." The sword tip shot forward suddenly, stopping at Vilaro's neck. The soldier stiffened again. "Mark me well," Zorro continued. "If you do anything to try to bring this man back into the Mexican Army, I will find you, and I will kill you. I have had this opportunity before, you will recall, but I did not make the most of it. I will not pass the opportunity the next time, if you do not heed my warning." "You may kill me," Vilaro said tightly. "Others will come after me if you do. Iturbide himself wants Esposito. It is not my decision. I am only following orders." "This I have heard before, from soldiers," Zorro said, the sword tip still at the man's throat. "It is an excuse that leaves me unmoved. You can return to Mexico City and tell General Iturbide that Juan Esposito is dead." "But he is not dead!" The sword tip was nearly drawing blood now. Zorro saw Vilaro's hand moving slowly towards his own sword. The bandito chuckled lightly and pulled his sword away. The officer did exactly as Zorro expected, and drew his sword. They faced one another in the de la Vega library. ****** Esperanza squealed in delight as the contents of her present were lifted from the box and before her was a large, beautiful cloth doll in a lovely blue and white dress, with a beautifully-carved wooden head, shiny beaded eyes, and a head of beautifully-combed black horse hair. "Oh, look, a new dolly!" Elizabeth cried, watching the baby grasp the doll, which was nearly as large as she was. "You will be bigger than she is eventually, Ranzita," Carlos laughed, as they put the baby and the doll on the ground. "This doll is special," he said softly to Elizabeth. She looked at him, puzzled, but before she could ask anything she found herself surrounded in a sea of children, gathering around to see the doll and watch Esperanza play with her. "Can you say gracias to Chocho, sweetheart?" Elizabeth asked, leaning over her daughter. "Look at your Chocho and say gracias." Esperanza looked at Carlos and said, "gasa." She grinned. "Chocho!" Carlos Matteo nearly levitated in delight. "You are welcome, my little angelina!" he laughed. "Where on earth is Diego?" Elizabeth whispered to her father, looking back at the house. "And where is Alejandro?" Carlos whispered back, still playing with his granddaughter and her new doll. As he was finishing the sentence, Alejandro came bounding out of the house looking breathless, followed by two soldiers who also looked quite startled. "What is the matter?" Carlos asked his friend. Alejandro opened his mouth to answer but then stopped himself. He saw Esperanza on the ground with the doll. "Oh, Esperanza, did Chocho bring you a doll?" he asked. Esperanza looked up at him and smiled. She shoved the doll up at him, nearly shrouding herself in the long blue and white dress. "Chocho! Gasa!" she said. Everyone laughed. The baby giggled, loving her status at the center of attention. "Ranza, we can't find you under your doll!" Alejandro laughed, reaching down for her. Finally he distinguished child from toy and picked her up. Immediately she looked down and started to fuss, being separated from her new treasure. "Here, Esperanza," Rufino said, picking up the doll and giving it to her. "Say thank you to Rufino, sweetheart," Elizabeth said, helping as Esperanza tried to take the doll. "Ruh, dah," the baby said, hugging at her doll. "Thank you, Rufino," Elizabeth said to the boy. A whoop came from inside the house. Then Conchita, followed by her little daughter Luciana and the teenagers Estrella and Juanita, came racing out. "Zorro is here!" Estrella shouted. "He is dueling with Capitan Vilaro in the library!" Juanita added. "Zorro!" Elizabeth exclaimed, looking at Alejandro and then to her father. "Zorro!" Rufino shouted, and without a pause he raced into the house. "Dueling!" Alejandro cried, almost at the same moment Rufino shouted. "Rufino! Oh!" Elizabeth cried at the two men. Then she turned to Sergeant Garcia. "Stop him! He could be hurt in there!" Sergeant Garcia groaned and followed Rufino into the house. Carlos was close on his heals, and after him the two soldiers and then Alejandro, after he had handed Esperanza back to Elizabeth. She, in turn, gave the startled baby to Maria and followed the men. Father Felipe brought up the rear, leaving Brother Anselm with the servants and the remaining children. ****** In the library, Zorro was finding that Vilaro's fencing had not improved in his months since their last encounter at Rancho Verbena in San Juan Capistrano. The bandito was therefore having some fun, though he was noting with increasing alarm the damage Vilaro's clumsiness was doing to Don Alejandro's various collectibles scattered around the room. When Vilaro's sword crashed into the senior de la Vega's prized globe in its wooden stand, causing the globe to crack and go rolling across the floor, Zorro decided it was time to relocate the engagement. He therefore backed into the doorway that led to the sala, intending to lure the officer away. It was there that Rufino crashed into him. Zorro whirled around, shouting, his sword held high. He saw Rufino, his eyes widening, and then saw Sergeant Garcia's large shadow looming in the doorway. "Zorro!" Garcia cried, reaching for his sword. Realizing his warning to stay away had not been heeded, Zorro spun around. With two large steps he reached the doorway leading to the hall that would take him to the kitchen and a back exit from the hacienda. His cloak flying behind him, he pulled the door open and with a quick flourish, pulled it shut. From the other side of the door he bolted it and then raced to the kitchen, now empty. Glancing around briefly, he then ran out the back door and into the afternoon shadows. "I saw him! I saw El Zorro!" Rufino was shouting. "Where did he go?!" Vilaro also shouted, his sword still drawn. "He...went, through that door!" Garcia said, pointing at the door. The two men tried to open it, only to find it bolted shut. "There is a lock on the other side of the door," Alejandro told them as he made his way past the soldiers to Garcia and Vilaro. "What is the fastest way around?" Vilaro demanded. "Through the center doorway under the stairs," Alejandro said. "It will take you through the kitchen." Vilaro waved at the soldiers to follow him and they ran out. Elizabeth came in, and looked around. "What happened? Was it Zorro?" she asked. "He knocked me over!" Rufino cried. Elizabeth looked him over. "Are you all right?" she asked. "Oh, si, but Doņa Elizabeth, I have collided with El Zorro!" I know the feeling, Elizabeth thought. "But I do not think he meant to collide with you, Rufino," she said.. "Rufino, I think it is time for you and the other children to say goodbye to Doņa Elizabeth and Don Alejandro so we can return to the mission," said Padre Felipe. "We have had a very exciting afternoon and I believe we will all want to rest tonight." "Oh, I do not want to leave, I want to see El Zorro again!" Rufino answered. "I do not think he will be back, Rufino," Alejandro said. "Whatever his business here is, I believe it is quite finished now. It was with the commandante, you see. Not with any of us." "I cannot believe it!" Diego exclaimed, appearing in the library doorway near where Carlos, Alejandro, Rufino, Padre Felipe and Rufino were standing. "Have you seen what has happened in the library? "The library?" Alejandro repeated, alarmed. "And do you know that our commandante was running through the kitchen with his sword drawn?" Diego continued. "Diego, where have you been?" Carlos asked. "You missed all of the excitement!" "I was upstairs with Bernardo, and I came down the back stairs when I heard all of this ruckus, and I find chaos!" Diego exclaimed. He pointed behind him into the library. "You are not going to like this at all, Father," he said. Alejandro headed for the library door. "Don Diego, did you see El Zorro on the back stairs?" Rufino asked. "Zorro!" Diego exclaimed. "Why, no, Rufino, I did not see him! Is that what was going on here?" "Si! He knocked me over!" Rufino exclaimed. "He did!?" Diego exclaimed. "He must have been trying to go somewhere in a very big hurry." He glanced at Elizabeth and added, "I am sure he is not in the general habit of knocking people over." Rufino nodded enthusiastically. "If I had known where he was going, I would have helped him get there." "Aiiiii! My globe!" came Alejandro's distressed cry from the library. "Aiiiii!" came another anguished cry. Bernardo, appearing from the patio, looked at Diego in puzzlement. Diego waved at him to go into the library. "I am sure Zorro would have appreciated your help," Diego replied to Rufino. "But he is on his way now, on his big white horse I imagine. Perhaps everyone should go back outside and enjoy the last of the afternoon. It will take a while for the servants to clean up this room, and we have more guests arriving tonight." He looked at his wife. "Darling, perhaps we should go and help my Father." Padre Felipe went to Rufino's side. "And it is high time to get all these children home to the mission." "But we must break the piņata first!" Rufino said. "Si, Rufino, we will have another round at the piņata," the good padre assured the boy. Elizabeth felt an ache in her heart as she watched the priest walk out the doorway, his hand on Rufino's shoulder. Carlos followed, preferring the company of the children and the priests, and most of all his granddaughter, to the likely scene in the library. Sergeant Garcia stood there for a moment wondering what to do, and then followed Carlos. "I am in so much trouble..." he muttered. "Come," Diego said softly to Elizabeth, nudging her towards the door. "He should stay here," she replied quietly, referring to Rufino. He said nothing, but guided her through the library door. What they found was Alejandro standing in the middle of a considerable mess and looking extremely unhappy about it. Bernardo was already on the floor picking up various shards of pottery and other loose items. "My globe from Madrid!" Alejandro said, seeing them come in. He looked around and then said to Diego, his voice lower, "I hope you did not do this!" Diego sighed. "It happened very quickly, there was nothing I could do." "You might have taken the duel outdoors!" Alejandro snapped. "Shhhhhh!" Diego said, looking around again. "Would you rather he had gotten me?" "Pah! Everyone knows he cannot fence!" "That is a terrible thing to say!" Elizabeth interjected angrily. "Diego is in danger every time he...." Diego grabbed her arm and squeezed it tightly. She stopped mid-sentence, biting her lip. "I shall make it up to you somehow, Father," Diego said quietly. "You cannot make a new globe for me!" Alejandro answered. "It happened very fast," Diego said. "And perhaps it can be repaired." He sensed Elizabeth about to say something else and again squeezed her arm. "We will leave you to give Bernardo instructions, we can send Estrella and Juanita to help. Come, darling, let's go back out to see our guests to their carriages." He took her hand and led her out of the room. "We have to talk to him!" she exclaimed as soon as they were in the sala. "Not right now," he said. "But...Rufino...." "Elizabeth," Diego said, interrupting. "It is not the time. He bought that globe for my mother on his last trip to Spain, and she loved it. He used it to teach me geography. It is more than just a globe, it is a symbol to him, of the family that we once were." "Oh," Elizabeth murmured. "We will talk about Rufino with him. Soon," he said. "Did you find out anything from Vilaro?" she asked. "Only a confirmation of what I suspected," he said. "And it does mean that I must find Juan and Rosaria as soon as I can. Phantom is saddled, I need to go back upstairs and change clothes again, and start looking." "Can't you look for them as Diego?" she asked. He shook his head gently. "It must be Zorro that they encounter, they will not listen to me as Diego. El Zorro is bound to know things Diego could not possibly know. And they must believe that." Elizabeth sighed. "But the party...." "I will be back!" he assured her softly and with a smile, his hands coming to her elbows. "I am not even sure where to find them, it may be like looking for a thread of rope in a pile of hay." He sensed her disappointment. "Look at me." She looked up at him. "Wear your dark blue dress for me tonight," he told her. She smiled, being pulled out of her pout. "That is the one I already picked out." He kissed her cheek. "See? You are reading your husband's mind, sweet Liz. Tell our guests I felt indisposed after seeing all the damage and took to my bed." Elizabeth shook her head at the silliness of that, but then nodded her agreement. Then she asked, "And what do I tell Esperanza?" "Our fathers will keep her well-entertained, darling. And if she gets sleepy, cuddle her and she will fall asleep. She will never know I was gone." Elizabeth nodded, feeling sad that he was leaving, even for a short time. "Be careful," she told him. "You will be riding at twilight, it is hard to see." "I shall be careful," he promised. "And remember, I have an eager and sure-footed horse with very good eyes." He kissed her cheek and headed for the back stairwell. Elizabeth watched him go, and took a deep breath. From outside she heard something crack, followed by a sudden squeal of delight from numerous young voices. "Ah, I believe we have broken the piņata," she said softly to herself.