The Magistrado's Welcome
The air was crisp and cold the morning the coach bearing the new Magistrado and his wife pulled into Los Angeles. Sergeant Garcia had all of his lancers assembled in the plaza in front of the cuartel and Don Alejandro made sure there was a large crowd of his peers there as well. The merchants and peons of the pueblo rounded out the assembly. Standing well back from the front ranks of the crowd, Diego and Bernardo secured a position near the central well from which they could see and hear everything. Since he was not as tall as Diego, Bernardo stood on the step of the well in order to see. They watched as Sergeant Garcia ran over to the door of the coach and opened it, snapping to attention and saluting smartly.
A tall and slender man stepped gracefully down from the coach and everyone was rather surprised at what they saw. The new señor was quite young to be a Magistrado. Each person in the crowd looked at the next as they questioned in their minds whether this man would have the knowledge and experience necessary to hold such an office.
Bernardo shared the same look with Diego.
Shrugging his shoulders, Diego turned his attention back to the coach. He observed that the man reminded him somewhat of the former commandanté, Enrique Sanchez Monastario. Besides being near the same height and build, he was perhaps in his mid thirties in age. He wore his hair somewhat longer, and his beard, which only partially concealed the long, straight scar along his jaw line, was worn much in the same style as that of the former commandanté, but was lightly peppered with grey. The most notable exception was that, whereas Monastario’s eyes had been a light ice blue in their color, Señor Santiago’s eyes were so dark as to be nearly black. In place of a military uniform, he wore well tailored civilian clothing as befit an official of His Majesty’s government, topped off with a grey felt hat. Diego also made note of the sword the Magistrado wore at his side. Something about the new Magistrado made Diego think the man knew how to use it and that he did not wear it merely for ornamentation. And that scar. It had most certainly been made by a blade. Bernardo picked up on the scar also, for he used his finger to draw its likeness along his own jaw. Diego nodded once to acknowledge his servant’s observation.
"Do I have the honor of greeting His Excellency, Señor Jorgé Martinez Santiago, the new Magistrado for the pueblo of Los Angeles?" asked Garcia, still at attention.
"You do, Sergeant," said Santiago. Reaching into his portfolio, he pulled out his credentials and handed them to the Sergeant.
Garcia opened them and read silently for a moment. Folding the papers once again, he handed them back to Santiago and said, "Everything is in order, Your Excellency." Coming to a salute once again, Garcia said, "I am Sergeant Demetrio Lopez Garcia, acting commandanté of the pueblo de Los Angeles, at your service."
Turning towards Don Alejandro he said, "Your Excellency. May I present Don Alejandro de la Vega, owner of the finest rancho in all California. Don Alejandro, His Excellency." His presentations made, Garcia stepped back a pace.
Don Alejandro bowed before the Magistrado. "Excellency. We bid you welcome to our humble pueblo. We are all here, landholders and common people alike, to welcome you. Let me say how good it is to see a representative of His Majesty’s government return to our district. We shall endeavor to make you comfortable and render any aid which you may require to carry out your duties."
Making a small bow, Santiago said, "Thank you, Señor de la Vega." He turned to address the crowd. "And I want to thank all of you for this warm welcome on such a cool morning." He bowed to them, then continued. "The governor has honored me by appointing me to the high office of Magistrado for this district. You shall soon see that I have a reputation in Monterey which you will find is well deserved." Santiago made eye contact with all the dons and peons alike. "I have a saying which I live by and hold to steadfastly." He paused for dramatic effect. Projecting his voice loudly, he said, "Justice is served." Then in a more normal tone, he continued. "If you break the law, you will face the penalty as prescribed by law. If you observe the law and follow its precepts, then we will have peace and order. I am aware you have been under the authority of those who misused their high office to try and further their own desires for money or power. Those men have been removed or are dead. I am here now and justice will be dispensed with an even, but firm hand. If you do not trust me, try me. My door will always be open to those who need me. The Governor of California has placed his trust in me and has given me this office. I pledge to you upon my honor that I will never break that trust."
The crowd broke into cheers. These were the kind of words they longed to hear. Bernardo and Diego exchanged looks again. So far, so good.
Santiago surveyed the crowd and was pleased at his reception. The noble little speech he had given them was perfect. He did not imagine that he would have any difficulty maintaining the image of himself he wanted them to accept. The satisfied smile he presented to them had a double meaning that only he was able to appreciate.
Don Alejandro took the opportunity when the crowd had subsided to speak once again. "Your Excellency. We have made arrangements for a reception in your honor this evening at the inn. If you will come this way, I will show you to your living quarters and your office. You must be tired from your long trip. When you have rested, we would be honored if you will be our guest at the inn at eight o’clock?"
"I would be delighted to accept," said the Magistrado, smiling. "It will give me time to see to my wife’s comfort and settle our things."
"Your wife, Your Excellency?" said Don Alejandro in worried tones. "We were not informed. We thought you were traveling alone." Turning to the coach, Don Alejandro said, "Please, may we welcome your wife to our pueblo, Your Excellency? We do not wish to be thought of as ill-mannered."
"Your pardon, Don Alejandro, but my wife is quite ill," said Santiago. "A lingering illness for which there seems to be no cure. If you will be so kind as to show me to my quarters, I will see that she is made as comfortable as possible and then I will be honored to attend your reception this evening. However, due to my wife’s illness, she will not be able to attend."
"Our loss, I am sure," said Don Alejandro, bowing again.
"Graciás," said Santiago. "And now, Don Alejandro which place is to be mine?"
"Across the plaza, Your Excellency," Don Alejandro indicated, holding out his hand to point out the direction, "just up the way from the inn."
"Excellent," said Santiago. "Sergeant? If you please, you will instruct the cochero to drive over there. And bring some of your lancers to help with the luggage. There’s a good man." Santiago smiled at the surprised look on Garcia’s face. "Apparently my predecessors were not very polite men," he remarked to everyone.
"Yes, Your Excellency," said Garcia. Then he stammered, "I . . . I mean no, Your Excellency. You are the first . . ." He trailed off when he realized that anything he might say would surely lead to trouble.
"It is all right, Sergeant. Just do as I ask and everything will be fine. Don Alejandro and I will walk to my quarters." Santiago bowed to the crowd once more and then motioned to Don Alejandro to lead the way.
As the crowd disbursed and the two men walked across the plaza, Diego and Bernardo watched them go. The Magistrado was pointing to various things in the plaza and it appeared that Don Alejandro was happily describing them to him. Diego turned, and with Bernardo at his side, he went to their carriage which was tied up near the church and got in. Señor Santiago and Don Alejandro were waiting at the curb in front of the Magistrado’s house when the coach came around the plaza and pulled up in front of them.
Diego and Bernardo had an excellent view from their carriage. They watched as Santiago handed his portfolio to Sergeant Garcia and opened the door of the coach and got in. In a moment, a servant woman stepped from the coach holding several folded blankets in her arms. Then Santiago got out and turned to help a young woman from the coach. She appeared to be perhaps twenty years of age. The young señora moved very slowly, as though she was made of the finest porcelain and afraid that she might break if she were to move too quickly. The Magistrado was very attentive to her every need. Once she reached the ground, she made as though she would have walked into the house, but apparently she was too weak, for the Magistrado bent down and gently picked her up in his arms. As he waited for Garcia to open the door of the house, the young woman happened to glance in Diego’s direction. He smiled at her and she smiled back, gently, almost shyly. Then she was taken away as the Magistrado carried her into the house. The servant woman followed them, but Don Alejandro and the lancers politely remained outside.
"She is apparently quite ill," said Diego under his breath, so that only Bernardo could hear. The servant nodded agreement. They continued to wait.
In a few moments, the Magistrado reappeared. He addressed those who were waiting. "As you can see, Señores, my wife is in very delicate condition due to her illness. I am afraid this long trip has been very hard on my Gracilia. Sergeant, please see that our luggage is taken into the house, but make sure it is done quietly. I do not want Señora Santiago disturbed more than can be helped."
"Sí, Magistrado," said Garcia in all seriousness. "You, lancers. You heard the Magistrado. Take down that luggage and be quick about it. And quiet."
Don Alejandro said, "If there is anything we can do to help?"
"If there is a physician here, can someone be sent to fetch him?" asked Santiago. He did not believe for one moment there was anything more that could be done for Gracilia, but it wouldn’t hurt to let the local doctor, if there was one, to examine her. It was what the older don would expect and so it would be done.
"Sí, Your Excellency. I will go to Doctor Avila myself," said Sergeant Garcia. Giving the portfolio back to the Magistrado, he set off at a goodly pace toward the apothecary which was just past the church. Don Alejandro and the Magistrado stood and spoke in low tones while the lancers carried the luggage into the house.
As the Sergeant passed the carriage, Diego motioned to him to stop.
"Sí, Don Diego?" said Garcia. "I cannot tarry long. I must get Doctor Avila for Señora Santiago at once."
"Just what seems to be the problem with the señora?" asked Diego.
"I do not know, Don Diego," said Garcia looking back at the Magistrado’s house. "But Señora Gracilia is a very sick woman. With your permission?"
"Of course, Sergeant, please go on," said Diego. Glancing about to see that no one was looking at them, Diego continued to Bernardo, "Our new Magistrado seems to have a heavy personal burden to bear as well as the responsibility of administering justice in the district. It is said that adversity brings out the best or the worst in a man. We shall see what kind of man our new Magistrado is in due time." Bernardo nodded. "I do hope Doctor Avila is able to help Señora Gracilia. I met her once on a trip to Monterey with my father, and she seemed to be a charming señorita." Bernardo smiled in a particular fashion. Diego noticed and said, "No, nothing like that. She and I were much younger then. Perhaps ten or twelve years old. She was a friend of Rosarita Cortez and cousin to Leonar, the Governor’s daughter."
Diego stopped speaking as they heard the footsteps of two men coming up from behind the carriage. As the two men passed, they could see that it was Sergeant Garcia and the doctor. They hurried up to the Magistrado and introductions were made. Santiago took his leave of Don Alejandro and the Sergeant, and escorted the doctor into the house just as the last of the lancers came out. Sergeant Garcia dismissed first the coach and then the lancers, trailing his men back to the cuartel. Don Alejandro walked over to the inn, no doubt to check upon the preparations for the Magistrado’s reception.
Bernardo motioned that the Magistrado’s speech had held much promise.
Diego glanced back at the Magistrado’s house and said, "Yes, it did, Bernardo. "It did sound very promising." Bernardo indicated he was unsure. Diego nodded. "Yes, we have had those who spoke well at first, and then turned out to be evil, greedy men. However, as my father indicated a few days ago, we cannot just assume all men are like that. We will watch this new Magistrado and see what he does. Perhaps he will be different from the rest. Perhaps he actually means what he says. We can hope this is true." Bernardo nodded in thoughtful agreement. Diego watched the lancers and Sergeant Garcia enter the cuartel. "Well, there is nothing more to see here. Let us go home. I will be attending the reception for the Magistrado this evening and perhaps I will see if I can draw him out, test his concepts of the justice he seems to hold in such high regard." Nodding, Bernardo took up the reins and urged the mules pulling the carriage into a trot and turned them toward the road leading to the de la Vega hacienda.
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It was a long while before Doctor Avila returned from Gracilia’s room to speak with Santiago who had spent his time inspecting the house and making his determinations as to how to distribute his things. He had decided he would hire a manservant on the morrow to set the house to rights. To his mind, the house was already nicely furnished. The late Señor Varga’s taste in furniture had been quite refined, it would seem. There would be nothing needed further in that regard, just some dusting and rearrangement. Pausing by a wall, Santiago thoughtfully fingered a hole in the plaster. There were others in the walls here and there besides this one. The bullet holes would need repair. They were a sobering reminder of his predecessor’s sudden demise. With one last look, he turned to attend to the doctor who had come out of Gracilia’s room. He was careful to place the proper look of concern on his face.
"Yes, Doctor? How is she?" he asked.
"Your wife has had a very hard trip, Your Excellency. She will require complete bed rest for the next few days." Santiago tried very hard not to roll his eyes heavenward as he had known all along that this would be the doctor’s diagnosis. Avila continued. "She is to continue on with the same medication which you brought with you from Monterey, but I am increasing the dosage for the next few days while she recovers. If you wish, you may see her now, but I warn you she will be very much under the influence of the laudanum." He indicated the bedroom as an invitation.
Santiago sighed within himself. The rather pompous village doctor did not seem inclined to leave without seeing that the Magistrado attended his wife’s bedside. Very well. Nodding to the doctor, he went into the bedroom. The doctor stood in the door watching. Santiago knelt beside the bed and took his wife’s hand in his. He suppressed a shudder because there was no warmth in the hand he held. Just as there was no warmth in the eyes which met his.
"Gracilia, dearest, I am here," he said. "The doctor has said that you must rest. Pippa will be here to attend to your every need just as she was in Monterey. You need not want for anything." With a barely perceptible nod, Gracilia acknowledged his words and closed her eyes, falling asleep almost instantly. Santiago lifted the blankets and placed her hand under them to keep it warm. Standing, he paused to gaze upon her for a moment as any loving husband would before turning back to the doctor.
Ushering the man to the front door Santiago said, "Thank you for coming at such short notice, Doctor. I know my wife will receive the best of care with you so close at hand."
Taking this as his due, Avila said, "You are most welcome, Your Excellency. I will come again in the morning to check upon Señora Santiago’s progress. If you need me before then, do not hesitate to send for me."
"I shall most certainly do that, Doctor," said Santiago smiling. He bowed as the man left the house. Closing the door and leaning with his back against it, Santiago heaved a silent sigh of relief. Then squaring his shoulders, he decided that he had better things to think of than cluttering his mind with the woman who occupied the bed in the next room. It was fortunate for him that he at least had the choice of two more bedrooms in the house which were suitable to be his sleeping chambers. Their home in Monterey had only had one bedroom for the two of them with a small alcove for the servant woman. Long before they had left Monterey, he had taken to sleeping on the couch in their parlor. He would be glad to get away from Gracilia and her illness and the constant attendance of Pippa who must see to her mistress’ needs twenty-four hours a day. Tonight’s reception should also take his mind off of Gracilia as well. He was looking forward to it. This very night he would begin to assess those whose lands he intended to acquire for his own. In a much better frame of mind, he sat down in front of the fireplace and began sorting through the official documents he had brought with him from Monterey.
