"The Testing"
When Diego arrived for the reception at the inn, he was amused to find that he would be sitting opposite his father at one end of the table. It was all arranged. At the head of the table, of course, would be the guest of honor, Señor Santiago. It would seem that Don Alejandro still had a father’s desire to display his only son before their guest. Next to his father sat the Alcalde, a venerable old gentleman. The remainder of the guests were arranged according to the deference due their ranking in the social hierarchy of the pueblo. They were a colorful lot, each dressed in their finest to honor the Magistrado. Diego had worn the suit he had brought with him from Spain, the same one he had worn when he first met Capitán Monastario. The table was lavishly set with the innkeeper’s finest china. The inn’s best sheets doubled as the table cloth, a trick Tío had learned under Monastario’s rule. Don Alejandro had furnished his own wine, not trusting the innkeeper with the choice. Tío had grumbled at this, but only under his breath, and never in front of Don Alejandro. Sergeant Garcia had selected some of his lancers to do the serving and he was dressed in his finest uniform, adorned with epaulets and his medal, which had been given to him when he had recovered the stolen gunpowder from the Eagle’s men. He had earlier sampled the food and wine and had declared them to be excellent. All was in readiness. All that was required was for the Magistrado to appear.
At one minute before eight o’clock, the door to the inn was opened by a lancer and the Magistrado stepped in. Everyone at the table rose. Diego took note of the fact that the Magistrado was still wearing his sword. Rather strange for a man who was attending a reception in his honor, he thought to himself. None of the other men in attendance were wearing their swords. Perhaps he would find an opportunity to remark upon the sword and see what the Magistrado had to say about it. He watched as Sergeant Garcia took the Magistrado’s hat and cloak from him and escorted him to the table. Garcia then took up his post near the kitchen, ever mindful of his duty to watch over the food and the wine.
Don Alejandro picked up his wine glass and said, "To the new Magistrado of Los Angeles, Señor Jorgé Martinez Santiago!"
Everyone picked up their glasses and drank to the toast.
The Magistrado said, "I thank you, one and all. Now I propose a toast. To the King!"
"To the King!" cried everyone, and they all drank again.
"Please be seated, Señores," said Santiago, as he seated himself along with them. "I could not ask for more hospitality than you have shown to me in the short time I have been in your pueblo."
"Graciás," said Don Alejandro, bowing slightly. "The pleasure is ours, Excellency." Motioning to Sergeant Garcia, Don Alejandro said, "Sergeant, you may serve now."
As the food was being served, Don Alejandro asked, "Señor Magistrado, may I inquire after Señora Santiago? I trust she is doing well?"
"My wife is asleep, Don Alejandro. It is the best thing for her after the long journey." Santiago did not feel like going into details about Gracilia’s condition. "But thank you for asking."
Sensing the Magistrado wished to leave the subject, Don Alejandro said, "Your Excellency, may I introduce you to my son, Diego?"
"Don Diego," said the Magistrado in greeting.
"Your Excellency," returned Diego, saluting with his wine glass and bowing from the waist.
"My son attended the university in Madrid and has only returned within the last year," said Don Alejandro.
Santiago looked upon Diego with sharper interest. "Oh, is that so?" he said. "I was also educated at the same university, Don Diego. Tell me, were you taught the fine art of fencing? Some of the world’s greatest fencing masters are at the university." He was hoping that he could find a worthy opponent in the younger man. He needed a fencing partner to keep his skills sharpened.
"Oh, no, no, Your Excellency," said Diego, falling into his routine with ease. "I much preferred my scholarly studies to that of athletic competition. All those men running at each other with swords? No, I could not see myself doing that."
Santiago was disappointed by the answer, but he happened to glance at Diego’s father as the son was speaking and noticed the grimace that Don Alejandro tried to hide. So, he thought to himself, There is a schism here. This will bear watching. Out loud he said, "That is too bad. I take great pleasure in the art and was hoping to find a fencing partner to practice against." Taking in Diego’s glance at the scar on his face, he continued. "I see you are looking at this." He brushed his fingers lightly along its length.
"I had believed that I knew how to use a sword, but I was proven wrong. Once." Smiling, he pulled his sword partly out of the scabbard. Diego could see the intricate engraving and metalwork that had gone into the hilt of the sword as could Don Alejandro and the others. "This sword was presented to me by Masterswordsman Fuente de Vida, the finest swordsman in Spain." He paused for effect. "After I had defeated him." He rather enjoyed the reactions among the men. Some of them had obviously heard of the fencing master even in this remote outpost. "In his honor, I wear it at all times when I am in public. It is a promise I have made. De Vida gave me both this," he indicated the scar, "and this," he indicated the sword.
Diego knew of de Vida. He was no longer teaching at the university when Diego had attended some dozen years after Santiago would have been there, but he had come from time to time to watch the new students and to confer with the fencing masters. Diego had even fenced against the aging man once in the first year of his schooling and was handed his head. The man had forgotten more about fencing than Diego could have ever imagined learning up until that time. From that moment on, Diego had set his sights on becoming a master like de Vida and had been but a fingerbreadth away from achieving that goal before he had been required to return home. He would like to have had one more opportunity to fence with de Vida; to show him what he had learned in his time as Zorro, but that would never be. However, next to him sat a man who had defeated Fuente de Vida when de Vida was still in his prime. Diego was quite impressed with Señor Santiago’s story, but of course, he composed himself and did not reveal it.
"It is a fine sword, Your Excellency. The workmanship is exquisite," was all he said.
"Graciás," said Santiago, glancing at the father, who was looking . . . embarrassed perhaps, at his son’s lack of interest in fencing? The relationship between these two would indeed be interesting to watch.
"Er, um, Your Excellency?" said Don Alejandro, clearing his throat. "May I now introduce Ricardo Morelos, Alcalde for the pueblo?" The Alcalde bowed.
Santiago turned his attention to the other men at the table as Don Alejandro introduced them one by one. The meal progressed and he learned something about who all of these men were and who among them were the true leaders in the community. He soon saw that all the men deferred to Don Alejandro as their natural leader. Santiago could see the spark of fire in the old man and could well imagine that he was quite capable of leading others. This made the older man all the more interesting in light of his plans for acquiring vast portions of California for his own. Don Alejandro could be just the man he was looking for to become the next "threat" to California. But he would move slowly and cautiously. There was more than enough time to pick his scapegoat. For now, he just wanted to be accepted by the inhabitants of this district as an honest officer of the King in order to lay the groundwork for what was to come.
As it was natural, the topic of conversation turned to the former Magistrado, Carlos Galindo, and of José Varga, The Eagle. Diego listened for a few minutes and then decided to liven things up a bit. Taking a sip from his wine glass, he said, "Señor Magistrado. May I ask what will become of the property and monies acquired by those two corrupt men while they were here? I believe these valuables are locked up in the strong box at the cuartel awaiting some action or other by the government." There were nods around the table as many had wondered the same thing.
"In what way do you mean, Don Diego?" asked Santiago. "All money and properties of those known to be traitors are subject to confiscation and are now the property of the King."
Diego said, "Your Excellency, perhaps you do not know this, but some of those monies were taxes collected illegally from the people of Los Angeles, not only from some of those here in this room, but of the peons and rancheros as well. Many of those people are facing hard times because of it." Diego watched Santiago closely. His reaction to Diego’s statements could tell him much.
Santiago looked at Diego for a moment before answering. He saw a sincere young man. He had the impression that the young don had sympathies for the lower class; such notions were prevalent in the liberal arts education Diego had obviously chosen for himself. Then Santiago turned and looked at all the others at the table. Instantly, he sensed that he could make a good impression on all of them with his answer. He would give them back their money, even the peons. This would be the first foundation stone in building his honorable reputation among them. These thoughts took no more than a moment. "Señores," he said. "It is true the property and valuables in the possession of traitors are confiscated. It is the law. However, the King does not wish to be unfair to those who were hurt by the actions of such men. I will personally go over the records and see that all the money illegally taken is restored to those who were forced to hand it over to those criminals. Today is the fifteenth of the month. Allow me until, say, a week from today to examine the records, take an inventory of what is being held at the cuartel, and make my determinations. Then, on the twenty second day of this month, at noon, we will begin the return of monies to all who were overtaxed. This I will do in order to see that ‘Justice is served.'"
Everyone at the table recognized the Magistrado’s motto. They began speaking to one another of the Magistrado’s promise with approval. There were smiles all around. Sergeant Garcia clasped his hands together and smiled with delight. He was very sympathetic to the plight of the peons and rancheros.
Diego cocked his head and smiled, mostly to himself. He was impressed with the man’s answer. It was so different from the answer Santiago’s predecessors would have given. The man seemed to have a desire to do what was right for the people, and this return of the tax money was a good beginning. He looked across the table from him as Don Alejandro tapped his wine glass.
"Señores! Another toast," the elder de la Vega said, holding up his glass. "To justice!"
Diego held his glass up with the others as they all cried, "To justice!" His eyes met Santiago’s for a moment, and then he smiled as the Magistrado raised an eyebrow and bowed slightly in his direction. Then they all drank to the toast.
**************************
True to his word, during the next week the new Magistrado examined the records and made his inventory. Secretly, he was surprised at how much money was in the Sergeant’s strong box. He was sure that in any other district in California, most of the money would have been "spirited" away by now. Garcia was apparently an honest soldier, one of the more rare species of soldiers in the world. Santiago might have replaced Garcia with his own man, Capitán Hidalgo from the garrison at Santa Barbara, but he kept the portly Sergeant on as the acting commandanté of the pueblo because he could see that the man could be easily manipulated. Anything he wanted could be done right in the open and Garcia would be none the wiser as long as Santiago had a reasonable explanation at the ready. There were also titles and deeds to lands on the outskirts of the Los Angeles district in the box, which Santiago took to his office to examine. Garcia deferred to the Magistrado in this and let him take care of the matter of the deeds. He was glad to be rid of them. As Santiago examined the papers, he realized that the former owners were either dead or missing. There was no one to claim the lands. He was sure his previous services to the king in rounding up those traitorous criminals in Monterey meant that he was deserving of receiving these lands as his recompense. At least, that is what he told himself as he signed the deeds over to himself and hid them away.
At noon on the appointed day, everyone who was due to have their money returned gathered in the plaza, dons and peons alike. Santiago was seated at the table which he had ordered placed in front of the cuartel gates. The tax ledger was opened and placed on the table next to the iron banded money box. Sergeant Garcia stood at his side. Corporal Reyes and some of the other lancers were stationed on either side of the cuartel gates. Santiago nodded to Garcia who stepped in front of the table to make an announcement.
"Attention! Attention!" his voice boomed out over the plaza. "It is time. As His Excellency, the Magistrado has promised, we will now begin the return of the tax money taken illegally from the people. Present yourselves one at a time to the Magistrado and state your name, where you live and how much you think you are due. He will check his records, and if they agree, you will get the money. First, His Excellency wishes all the dons who are present to come forward."
As Diego had managed to convince Varga’s false tax collector that the de la Vega’s did not owe any taxes by use of his eagle’s feather, the de la Vega’s were not due any return of funds. But Diego had come to see for himself just what would happen this day. He and Bernardo sat in their carriage by the church and watched as the dons lined up and one by one they received their money. The Magistrado carefully checked his figures for each applicant and made notations in his ledger book. He spoke with each man and personally handed over the money from the box. Diego could see that the dons were impressed by the Magistrado’s personal attentions. He could see the excitement among the other people, rancheros and peons, as they too talked happily amongst themselves about the money they would be receiving. Bernardo motioned to indicate the people and smiled to show their happiness.
Diego turned to look at the people again. "Yes, Bernardo, it is good to see them smiling again," he said in a low tone. "They worked hard for their money and it had been taken away from them illegally. Now they will be able to buy the food and supplies they need to help their families."
Bernardo looked at his young master’s profile. He saw a compassion for the people that was being fulfilled this day. It made him proud to know that he served a man with such a heart. Diego could be a man with the courage of a lion when he needed to be, combined with the sharp and cunning mind of the fox when strength alone would not win the day. But a warm heart of compassion beat within the young man’s breast that resonated with Bernardo’s own. He would like to shout to those people out in the plaza that his master was the one whom they should be thanking, not the Magistrado. But, perhaps, God thought it best for him not to do so for he had taken Bernardo’s speech from him at birth. And, as he looked at Diego, he realized that the young man did not want to claim recognition for what he had done. He only wanted to see that justice was done and that things were made right again.
But that was not entirely true either. There was one man from whom Diego longed to receive recognition and respect. That was Don Alejandro, Diego’s father. However, as long as Diego chose to ride as Zorro, that respect might never come. For the man Diego had chosen to be in order that Zorro might live was not a man that Don Alejandro could ever find within himself to respect. Tolerate? Perhaps. But respect? No. Even though Bernardo knew that Don Alejandro loved his son deeply despite his perceived failings, the respect that Diego longed for was not to be.
Bernardo sighed. It was a sad thing to see Diego and his father together when Don Alejandro was not pleased with the way Diego had turned out. As each crisis had come up since their arrival from Spain, Diego had been forced to listen to Don Alejandro’s displeasure over his lack of being the man of his father’s expectations. Only Bernardo knew the anguish of his young master’s heart. But he also knew the anguish in the father’s heart for a son he could not understand. As with those people out there in the plaza right now, he had often longed to tell Don Alejandro about Diego, to let him know of his son’s nocturnal activities and that he had a son of whom he could be proud. But he could not. Not because he was unable to speak, but because it was not his place to do so. To do so would break the trust that Diego had in him as a servant and as a friend.
No, he would have to let Diego make his own choices in this. Diego would have to decide when the time was right, if it ever was, to tell his father his secrets. Until then, Bernardo would do what he had always done. Remain loyally by his master’s side, ready to do anything that was required. Even to the risking of his own life to save that of his master’s. For his life would mean nothing to him if Diego should perish.
His thoughts were interrupted as Diego elbowed him in the ribs gently and said, "Ah, look now. There is Franco Barbarosa getting his money. Good. That is good. He is the last of the rancheros. And now the peons. See? There? Fifth in line is little Paco."
Bernardo looked around and made a little sign of the "Z" for Diego to see.
"Yes, Bernardo. He is the one Zorro rescued from Galindo’s sentence of death," said Diego with satisfaction. "And now he will get the money he so desperately needs for his family." They watched as Paco reached the head of the line and held out his hand to receive his money. For a moment, he just stood and looked at the coins as if he did not believe that they really were there. Then he closed his fist around the money and held it up high as he turned around and smiled hugely at the remaining crowd. All of his friends laughed happily with him. Paco opened his hand and looked at the money again. Then he turned to the Magistrado and bowed deeply, thanking him before he ran off in the direction of his home to show the money to his wife and children. The other peons crowded together as they eagerly awaited their turn to speak to the Magistrado.
Diego leaned back in his carriage with a very satisfied look on his face as he watched the scene. He and Bernardo watched until the last peon had been given his money. Then Diego said, "Come, I wish to speak to the Magistrado." They got out of the carriage and approached the table, standing to one side as the Magistrado finished marking his ledger book. Stepping up, Diego said, "I see that the money box is empty, Your Excellency. Your accounting is very precise."
Santiago looked up and said, "Well, Don Diego," in a friendly greeting. "I saw you watching from your carriage over the way. Was everything done to your satisfaction?"
"Sí, Your Excellency," replied Diego. "I have never seen the people happier. It has been a good day for the pueblo."
Santiago stood up, closing his ledger book and then the lid to the empty money box. He turned to the Sergeant. "Sergeant Garcia, you may dismiss the men and take these things away. Our work here is done."
Garcia saluted and said, "Sí, Magistrado." He motioned to his lancers to come and move the table.
Santiago tucked the ledger book under his arm. Returning his attention back to Diego, he said, "Yes, the people are happy for the moment. But soon, the money they have received will be gone and they will be in want again. We need to do something to make this district more prosperous so that all will benefit. California needs to become strong again after the dark times we have just been through and there is nothing like prosperity to bring the people together. What do you think, Don Diego?"
Diego was pleased. It had been a long time since anyone in the government had spoken ideas like this. "I think you are correct, Your Excellency. California needs to be united in order to withstand our enemies from without and from within. Wars and civil strife are such a messy business." Diego let a look of distaste pass over his face for Santiago’s benefit. "How much better it is for us to concentrate on making California a prosperous colony of His Majesty."
"I am glad you agree, Don Diego," said Santiago. "I will give the matter some more thought. Now if you will excuse me, there are some things I wish to discuss with the Sergeant."
Diego bowed, "Of course, Your Excellency." He and Bernardo watched Santiago walk into the cuartel. In a low voice, he said, "Let us go to the tavern for a while, Bernardo. It will be a lively place today." Bernardo nodded and grinned.
