The Secret of Zorro Tornado's Crown Chapter Eight by Ella Christian @1999-2002 Contact author at EllaChristian@aol.com Chapter Eight Jail Birds Alejandro de la Vega had a sleepless night. At dawn he looked down at his son's face, feeling an overwhelming sense of tenderness. Diego's look, in sleep, reminded Alejandro of a moment from Diego's boyhood, when he had fallen off a wagon on the rancho. Matilde had shouted for her husband after seeing the accident happen. Diego, who was eight at the time, had been standing in the back of a wagon on a rickety set of wooden boxes when the mules yanked the wagon suddenly. Diego had tipped over the wagon sideboard and crashed face-first to the ground, chipping the outer edge of his right eyebrow in the process. By the time Alejandro arrived in response to his wife's cry, Diego was on his back, blood all over his face, half-conscious. Alejandro had picked him up and carried him to the outdoor kitchen, where they cleaned up his face and tried to make sure he was all right. Once you were awake you wanted to go back to the stable and finish what you were doing, Alejandro recalled, his eyes not leaving his grown son. But we managed to get you up to your room and you were asleep, your head in your mother's lap, within seconds. Diego's head moved slightly. And what a black eye you had. Alejandro smiled. How Esperanza looks like you, he thought. The older man kept his gaze on Diego for a while, and then looked up to reconsider his surroundings. He shook his head, and returned his attention to his son. The morning light was increasing. Alejandro took the thin brown blanket that was tossed over Diego's shoulder and pulled it higher, to cover his son's face and give him more darkness. He surely needed as much sleep as he could get, given the injury he had sustained the night before. His suit jacket was unstained. It appeared that the bandage on his arm had held, despite the workout it got during the melee with Vilaro and the officers at midnight. Heal, Diego, Alejandro thought. We will get out of this somehow. * * * * * * Elizabeth tried to sit up. Her head felt fuzzy and thick. Everything between her eyes hurt. Even her hair hurt. It was dark. "Diego?" she said softly. She reached around beside her and came up with straw in her hand. "Uggghhh," she moaned. A light beamed into her eyes, and she saw a lantern swinging in front of her suddenly. She blinked, groaning. Holding her hand up to shield her eyes, she made out the figure of Bernardo holding the lantern. "Where is Diego?" she asked. The look on his face told her that something was wrong. She sat up, fighting the feeling of being dragged back into the straw by forces colliding in her head and stomach. "Where is he?" she asked again. She looked around. The cave was empty except for the two of them. Bernardo set the lantern down and pointed up towards the house and patio. He looked worried. "Upstairs? He's in the house? What time is it?" She tried to push herself to her feet and found it difficult. Bernardo reached for her hand and helped her get to her feet. "Ohhhh, I feel funny," she said. "Is it still the middle of the night?" Bernardo shook his head, pointing at the cave entrance. Elizabeth walked rather gingerly to the opening and looked out to see the beginning light of dawn in the sky. "Almost morning," she murmured, noticing Phantom grazing quietly at the far end of the box canyon. She turned back to Bernardo. "Take me up to Diego...why wasn't I awakened? Is he all right?" Bernardo half shrugged, again looking worried. "Is he in our room?" Elizabeth asked. Bernardo shook his head. "Well then where is he?" she asked, beginning to wake up. Bernardo sighed and then pointed up in the direction of the patio. Then he made his gestures for Vilaro and the lancers. He continued by raising his arm as if he were holding a rifle, and jerked it as if it were fired. Then he gestured someone falling. "He was shot again!?" Elizabeth gasped. Bernardo waved his hands and shook his head. He gestured going to sleep. Elizabeth frowned. "He...fell asleep?" Bernardo half-shrugged with a nod, which Elizabeth had come to recognize was an indication that she was on the right track in ascertaining what he was trying to tell her. Bernardo made his face to indicate Don Alejandro. "Alejandro fell asleep?" Elizabeth asked. "Alejandro got shot?" Bernardo shook his head. He picked up the lantern and gestured for Elizabeth to follow him up the stairs. "Did anyone get shot?" Elizabeth asked. Bernardo shook his head again. Then he turned and headed up the stairs. In order to find out more she knew she would have to follow. "My head hurts," she complained. Lifting her feet to rise to each step seemed unreasonably difficult. "Bernardo," she said, as they reached the top of the stairs at the first level of the hacienda. He turned to look at her. "Diego is all right, isn't he?" He nodded hopefully. Elizabeth stared at him for a moment. She knew full well that Diego would never have left her to sleep alone in the cave unless something had gone awry. "Then where is he?" she asked. * * * * * The first thing Diego felt was a deep ache, in the center of his left arm. He groaned and tried to move. His eyes opened but it seemed to be dark. "Just stay still, son," he heard his father's voice. Then he felt Alejandro's hand on his arm, the injured one. He realized he was lying on his right side. He lifted his head slightly and tried to open his eyes. Everything was dark. "I can't see," he mumbled. "That is because there is a blanket over you," Alejandro said, pulling the cover away. Diego looked up to see his father's face staring down at him in an unlit place. He looked around slowly, fresh confusion setting in. The ceiling was dark and low. Whatever he was lying on was very hard. "Where are we?" he asked. Alejandro sighed. "How is your arm?" he asked, very softly. "It hurts," Diego answered. "Shhhh," Alejandro warned. He leaned closer. "Diego, we are in the cuartel. We are in a jail cell. Corporal Reyes and another lancer are ten feet away. It is sunrise." "The cuartel....?" Diego repeated, his voice softening. He tried to sit up. Alejandro helped him. Though the darkness was still heavy, he could see Reyes and the second lancer sitting on chairs outside the jail. Both of them were dozing. He looked at his father, who was without his coat and looking somewhat disheveled. "How did we get here?" he asked. Something occurred to him and he looked around a little frantically. "Elizabeth isn't here, is she?" "No," Alejandro answered glumly. "She is at the Rancho, probably still sleeping off all of that wine." He sighed, thinking about the scene the night before. "You and I are in a lot of trouble." "We are?" Diego asked. He thought for a moment. "I remember....oh. I remember hitting Vilaro." Alejandro nodded. "That was just the start of it." He nodded at the other end of the jail cell, where a form lay motionless under a blanket on the floor. Diego looked at the lump. "Who... or what...is that?" he asked. "That is Mendocino," Alejandro answered. Diego frowned, wondering why their servant was also in the jail. "I don't remember anything after hitting Vilaro," he said. "That is because you fainted." He nodded at Diego's arm. "Though not before you knocked him out quite thoroughly." "Then there is some justice in the world," Diego said, feeling his arm. Although it hurt, the bandage was still holding. "We shall have to hope so. After you passed out I pulled a musket on Vilaro. There was quite a scene." "Did you shoot him?" Diego asked, trying not to sound too hopeful. Alejandro smiled. "No," he said. "Though I do not think we would be in any more trouble than we are now, if I had." Diego considered that for a moment, and grinned ruefully at his father. "He has announced he will hang us," he guessed. Alejandro nodded. "Under pretense of some obscure Mexican law. I daresay he made it up." "At least he is predictable!" Diego observed. * * * * * "We have not known where to look for you Doņa Elizabeth," Maria said softly. She had just handed Esperanza over to her mother. They were standing in the patio. "They took Don Alejandro and Don Diego away late last night, it was after midnight." The servant looked down. "I am sorry." Bernardo stood behind Elizabeth trying not to fidget. He had no way of explaining to Elizabeth all that had happened, nor did he have a way of explaining to the other servants why Elizabeth had disappeared. The night before, in the chaos of the fight and Rufino's discovery of Elizabeth's absence, Alejandro had improvised by announcing that she had gone looking for her horse. She had no way of knowing that, however. "You have done nothing wrong, Maria," Elizabeth said. "But you must tell me, since Bernardo cannot, where they were taken." "To the cuartel," Maria answered, looking down. "The cuartel!" Elizabeth said. She pushed Esperanza's hand away, for the baby was trying to pull her mother's ear. "Si, and they are going to be hanged if something is not done!" said a woman's voice from behind them. Elizabeth turned to see Conchita standing there, having just come from her kitchen. Esperanza pulled at her mother's ear again and giggled. "No, muchacha," Elizabeth said. "They have Mendocino too," Maria said to her mistress. Elizabeth turned back to look at Bernardo. She felt her head was about to split open. She looked back at them. "Who else was still here last night, when this happened? And what exactly happened, to land them all in the cuartel?" She looked back at Conchita, her last words sinking in. "Did you say hanged?" "Si, that is what Vilaro said last night," Conchita said, stepping forward. "But that is ridiculous!" Elizabeth exclaimed. She looked at Bernardo. "We have to go get them out of there!" "They came for Don Diego, to see his arm, and ...there was...a fight," Maria said carefully. Elizabeth looked back at her. She fought the fear that was beginning to rise in her throat. "Don Diego did not take kindly to the commandante walking in on you. He hit him in the jaw," Conchita said. "That was after Don Diego would not take his jacket off," Maria added. "Si, and Don Alejandro brought his musket out and nearly shot a lancer. And Don Diego hit two more lancers, and Mendocino threw a broom at them," Conchita continued. "I think they might have won if Don Diego had not fainted." Bernardo winced. "He fainted!" Elizabeth exclaimed, now feeling true horror and wondering if his wound had started bleeding again. "Si, I think perhaps it was too much exertion for him." She raised an eyebrow. "His exertion seems to be manageable only when he is with you, seņora." "And he is in the jail now?" Elizabeth exclaimed. "Is he all right?" "He was still unconscious when they carried him away," Maria said. "Why didn't you go with him?!" Elizabeth cried, whirling around to face Bernardo. He looked at her quizzically, holding his hands in the air. "Don Alejandro told him to stay here and find you," Conchita explained. "Rufino tried to find you but could not. Bernardo has been up all night, seņora, where have you been?" Elizabeth looked around at them all. She hiked Esperanza further up onto her hip. "I fell asleep in the....I fell asleep in the old barn," she said. "Bernardo found me this morning. I could not sleep last night and so I went to see if Blanca had gone to the old barn." Bernardo let out a private sigh of relief. The story she had concocted was not inconsistent with Alejandro's explanation. Conchita's dark brown eyes narrowed, but she did not question her mistress. "Maria, I must go into the pueblo to see Diego," Elizabeth said. "Watch out for Esperanza, take her," she handed the baby back. Esperanza protested immediately with a squeal. "No, no, sweetheart, I must go to find Daddy and make sure he is all right, you will be fine here with Maria." She turned to the cook. "We will get Mendocino and Don Alejandro released, as well," she said. Conchita folded her arms. "I trust you will, Doņa Elizabeth, or there will be an uprising." "I do not feel I would object to that!" Elizabeth said. Then something occurred to her. "Rufino, is he still here?" she asked. "He is upstairs asleep," Maria said. "We can send him back to Don Carlos's hacienda with a vaquero if you wish." "Do not awaken him, but when he gets up I suppose that would be the right thing to do," Elizabeth said. She felt as if her head were swimming, though she desperately needed it to be clear. "I shall need my father's help with this...." she murmured. "And my aunts..." She looked again to Bernardo. "Go to the stable and prepare the carriage," she told him, making gestures to support her words. "We will go into the pueblo as soon as I am ready." He nodded and left. "Maria, bring Esperanza upstairs, we will put her on the floor in my room while you help me change clothes," she pulled a piece of straw from her sleeve. "We shall have to move quickly, Vilaro likes fast hangings if what he tried with the gypsies is any indication." "Si, Doņa Elizabeth," Maria said. Elizabeth headed for the stairs. "Maaamaaaa," Esperanza cried after her mother, reaching towards her from Maria's arms. "Come Esperanza we will go with your Mommie," Maria assured her, following Elizabeth. Conchita watched them go up the stairs, and found herself standing alone in the courtyard. She sighed, shook her head, and returned to her kitchen. * * * * * * Two hours later Elizabeth and Bernardo stood at the giant, and shut, wooden gate of the cuartel requesting entrance. Bernardo carried a small basket of food. In his jacket he had stashed fresh bandages for Diego's arm, in case there was a way to pass them to Alejandro so the dressing could be changed that night in the darkness. The ride to the pueblo had been silent, for Elizabeth was so miserable with her hangover, and so upset about the events she had slept through, and so furious with everyone she could think of for what had landed Diego in jail including Diego, that she simply sat in the carriage staring straight ahead without a word. She wore a shimmering dark blue dress with lace at the neck and sleeves, looking as elegant as her headache allowed. She had nearly put on mismatched shoes because Esperanza had thrown several pairs around the room while she was dressing, but Maria sorted everything out and discovered the difference before Elizabeth departed. The baby burst into tears on seeing her mother leave. Sergeant Garcia greeted them, shoving the creaky gate open. "Ah, Doņa Elizabeth, I wondered when you would arrive," he said on seeing them. He stepped out into the sunshine. "Are they all right?" she asked. Garcia's face screwed up in thought. "Don Alejandro is very unhappy and Don Diego is very tired," he finally answered. "And Mendocino has been asleep since he got here." "Is it true that Vilaro wants to hang them?" Elizabeth asked. "That is what he says," Garcia affirmed. "But there is no judge...." "Si, not to mention no justice!" Elizabeth interrupted, trying to pass him. He stopped her. "I cannot let you in without the commandante's permission," he said. "He has locked off the entire garrison. No one can enter without his approval." Elizabeth stared up at him. "I cannot visit my husband!?" she exclaimed. Garcia held up his hand. "I shall talk with him. He is indisposed, you see, because Don Diego put his fist to the commandante's jaw in a fierce way last night. I suppose you have heard." "Si I have," Elizabeth answered. "But this does not deserve a sentence of hanging!" The Sergeant sighed and held his hand up again. "I will return as soon as I have an answer," he said. Elizabeth restrained herself from spitting at the gate as it shut in her and Bernardo's faces. She looked down at the ground, trying to regain her equilibrium. "Oh, Elizabeth, I have wondered when you would get here!" came a female voice from behind her. She turned around to see Clementia approaching. Her friend looked very upbeat. "Isn't it awful, about Diego and Don Alejandro?" Clementia continued. "I expected you to be here at dawn! I only wish I had been at the hacienda last night, to see what brought all this on!" "Clementia, you are being far too cheerful this morning," Elizabeth said flatly. "My husband and my father-in-law are in jail and the commandante is talking of hanging them." "Oh, he will not do that," Clementia scoffed. "Demetrio says he cannot, without a trial, which requires a judge, which we do not have. And who knows when we will, given the change from Spanish to Mexican government?" Elizabeth squinted at her friend. "He did not wait for a judge to try to hang the gypsies," she said. "But they were gypsies!" Clementia said, taking Elizabeth's arm and trying to lead her towards the tavern. "This is different, this is two dons from one of the best families in Los Angeles. It will work out! Come and have some food with me. Where are your aunts?" Elizabeth yanked her arm away. "They will not even let me see Diego!" she cried. "I do not want to go to the Tavern and eat!" "You do not need to be short-tempered with me!" Clementia said, stepping back indignantly. "I am only trying to help!" "You are not helping!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "Unless you would like to help me climb over the cuartel wall!" She spied Consuelo approaching, followed by several peons. They had all overheard the raised voices in front of the gate and were coming to investigate. Elizabeth groaned in frustration, not wanting an audience. "Go away!" she said to them all, making a shooing motion. The gate re-opened and Sergeant Garcia reappeared. He brightened on seeing Clementia, but then sobered again as he faced Elizabeth. "Doņa Elizabeth," he said carefully, "please do not kill the messenger. The commandante does not wish to allow any civilians into the garrison at this time." "I have a right to see my husband!" she shouted, nearly jumping on him. Startled, Garcia stepped back in the wake of her surge of energy. He glanced at Clementia, gave her a short wave, and then backed into the garrison yard, pulling the gate shut behind him. "I will stand here waiting for however long it takes!" Elizabeth shouted at the gate. "Do you hear me, Sergeant? Tell Vilaro that!" * * * * * * Inside the jail cell, Mendocino was still sleeping. Diego was sitting on a long bench, looking out into the garrison yard. Alejandro was standing at the bars, also looking out. "The Sergeant seems to have someone at the gate who wants to get in," Diego observed. "I can guess who that is," Alejandro answered, glancing back at his son and then returning his gaze outward. Garcia seemed to jump backwards as they watched, and closed the gate for the second time. "She must have nearly pounced on him when he wouldn't let her in." Diego sighed. "I hope she does not jump on him, or she will end up in here too. And they will hang the entire family." "They cannot hang you until you have had a son who will carry on the family name," his father answered. "Oh, Esperanza is not good enough for you?" Diego joked. Alejandro turned and looked at his son, his eyes blazing. "That is not the point!" he answered fiercely. "Some day Esperanza will marry and she will take her husband's name, whoever that blessed man proves to be! But you must have a son so the de la Vega name will continue to flourish in California." He eyed Diego. "This is not such a difficult duty, Diego," he continued, tempering his tone and trying to sound reasonable. "Elizabeth is still quite young, she can have many more children." "Try telling her that," Diego said. "Are you telling me she does not want more children?" Diego shifted, feeling uncomfortable. "No, I am not saying that, I am saying she does not seem to want them now." He looked outside at the bright light, feeling thankful for the shade of the jail cell. "At the moment there is nothing I can do about changing her mind." "Of course you can change her mind, you are her husband!" "Well right now I cannot get close enough to her to change her mind, much less do what you are talking about in order to bring said de la Vega son into existence!" Diego snorted. "Aiiii!" Alejandro growled. A silence prevailed between them for a moment. "This jail cell is too small," the elder man complained. "I can ask for a different one if you like," Diego offered, standing up. He winced, but then moved his arm around. "How is it?" Alejandro asked under his breath, to avoid being heard by the lancer on guard duty some ten yards away. "It is stiff but working," Diego answered. "What on earth got into you to hit him like that last night?" his father asked. "I was angry," Diego answered. "But you know he had been in there!" "Si, I knew," Diego agreed. "But he did not know I knew. It gave me an opportunity to both show him my arm was working and also show him how well my fist fits into his face at great speed." Alejandro finally smiled. He shook his head and looked down. "I do not think we can talk our way out of this one." "No," Diego agreed. "But at least the scaffolding is not under construction, which means that Vilaro is not going to hang us tonight." "At least not in the traditional way," Alejandro sighed. "He could always put us on horses, set a noose around our necks, and throw the rope over a tree." "Shhh," Diego said. "Do not give them any ideas." * * * * * By noon, the heat was growing unusual for a June day. The air was very still. Bernardo brought the carriage to the cuartel gate in order to give Elizabeth some shelter. She looked at it for a moment and then instructed him to pull it directly in front of the gate, making it impossible to open the gate more than a few feet without crashing into the carriage. She then climbed in and sat in her seat in the shade, saying not a word. Half an hour passed and Corporal Reyes came out, opening the gate. He peered at the carriage for a few moments, sizing up the problem. Then he stepped out and looked up at Elizabeth where she sat. "Doņa Elizabeth, your carriage must be moved," he told her. "Not until Vilaro lets me see Diego," Elizabeth answered. "But we cannot open or shut the gate more than to let a person through, if you keep your carriage here," Reyes explained. "We cannot....come out, or let a man on a horse...in." Elizabeth eyed him. Reyes took her look, and then looked at her horses. "I can lead them to shade," he offered, going for the lead horse's bridle. "Do not touch that horse!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "Go away, Corporal. Go tell the commandante I wish to see Don Diego." Reyes cleared his throat. "I think he knows that, Seņora." "Then tell him to do something about it," she snapped. He stared at her, finally grasping the full measure of her determination, and quietly went back to the gate, squeezed through, and pulled it shut. From that point, the garrison gate neither opened nor closed. This immobilization kept the lancers inside and the activities of the pueblo oddly cut off from its customary military presence. Juan Bottega wandered in and out of the Tavern door staring across the pueblo square wondering where over half of his usual customers were. In the plaza, peons sat about fanning themselves and waiting. Bernardo alternately sat in the carriage with his mistress and stood in the sun, his arms folded. Another hour passed. The Matteo carriage rolled into the plaza. Rufino leaped out before it stopped, racing to Elizabeth where she sat. "Doņa Elizabeth, are they still in the jail?" he asked. "Si Rufino," she answered. "You should have seen Don Diego last night. He hit the commandante and fainted," the boy said, climbing up into the wagon beside her. "Si," Elizabeth said. "I have heard." "Where were you last night?" Rufino continued. "I fell asleep in the old barn," Elizabeth answered. Carlos walked up, followed by the aunts. "How long have you been sitting here?" he asked his daughter. "I do not know," Elizabeth said stiffly. "Perhaps three hours." Carlos looked up at the closed gate. Then he turned back to his daughter. "Go to the Tavern, Elizabeth, get some food. It will do you no good to sit here. Bridget and Lydia will take you. Let me see if I can get in to see if Alejandro and Diego are all right." "I am not moving until Vilaro lets me in," Elizabeth said. "Oh, so you are going to try to outstubborn the commandante?" Carlos asked. Elizabeth made no reply. For no good reason she was as mad at her father as she was at everyone else. "Anita Elizabeth, get out of that carriage right now and come with me," Aunt Lydia said, her arms on her hips. "I am not leaving until they agree to let me see Diego," Elizabeth replied. Bridget peered into the carriage at her. "Dear, you will need to eat something." "Not now," Elizabeth answered, continuing to look straight ahead. "Well will you settle for it if they let me go in?" Carlos asked. "And me, I will go in too," Rufino volunteered. Elizabeth glanced at her father. "I want to see him myself," she said. She looked beyond her father to see that a small crowd of peons were gathering under the shade tree in the plaza. Juan Bottega was sitting on the porch of the Tavern looking anxious. Rosaria was standing beside him. Everyone was staring in her direction. She looked back at her father. "I want to see him myself. If they will let you see him that will be a start," she said. He offered his hand to help her out. "I am not leaving!" she exclaimed. She looked her father in the eye. "I cannot bear that he is in there," she said softly. "Oh, Elizabeth, come now," Aunt Bridget said. "They will have to let him out. Blocking the gate cannot help make it happen faster." "You do not know this commandante," Elizabeth said to her aunt. "See if you can see him," she said to her father. "Make sure he is all right. And Alejandro." Carlos pounded on the cuartel gate and shouted, "It is Carlos Matteo, open this gate!" The gate creaked open a few feet. This time a lancer Elizabeth did not know came out. "Si?" he said. "Will you kindly let me in to see my son-in-law and Don Alejandro?" Carlos asked, smiling. The lancer looked him up and down. It was one of the Mexicans who had come with Vilaro when the hand-over to Mexican rule occurred. He looked past Carlos to Elizabeth and her carriage. "Wait here," he said. He withdrew and the gate shut again. Carlos looked back at Elizabeth and shrugged. They all waited. The crowd in the square grew as a few more peons and merchants joined to see what was happening. Clementia re-appeared, walking towards the carriage. Lupe Cahuenga was with her. "Elizabeth, are you still sitting there?" Clementia said. "Hello, Lupe," Elizabeth said to the girl, ignoring her friend. Lupe curtsied slightly. "Hello Doņa Elizabeth. I am sorry, about what happened to Don Diego and Don Alejandro. But surely they will not be hung." Elizabeth smiled for the first time that morning. Lupe's devotion to Diego was unwavering, even as she grew into young womanhood. "We must hope not," she agreed. The gate opened and this time Sergeant Garcia came out. "Don Carlos," he said. "Si, Sergeant?" "The commandante will allow you to see Don Alejandro and Don Diego," he said. "Good!" Carlos said, starting to go in. The Sergeant stopped him. "On one condition." "What is that?" Garcia sighed. "Doņa Elizabeth and her carriage must move out of the way. All the way....out of the way." Carlos looked up at his daughter. Elizabeth looked down at her hands, trying not to start crying. Finally she said, "All right." She rose and stepped out into the sunshine, blinking. Carlos motioned to Bernardo to pull the horses away and park the carriage in front of the Tavern. "Go and get something to eat, sweetheart," Carlos said to his daughter, who was looking pale. "I will come and tell you as soon as I have talked with them." Elizabeth nodded. Carlos went through the gate and it shut again. Lydia, Bridget, Clementia and Lupe surrounded Elizabeth, and with the help of her aunts she made her way to the Tavern. The little crowd that had gathered broke up, for it was clear that the stalemate had passed and that, at least for the moment, the commandante had won.