"Bernardo's Peril"
San Pedro was not the only place Diego heard the rumors about Zorro. It seemed everywhere he went, Zorro was suddenly the main topic of discussion. He was amazed at how the statements of the Magistrado could have taken wings as they had. People tried to engage him in their speculations about Zorro’s whereabouts and his activities, but he did his best to change the topic. When he was forced to say anything at all concerning Zorro, he was as vague as he could manage without offending those he was with. He found it unsettling as some began to look at him strangely when he would not speak of Zorro. It began to seem that the rumors were not going to die away with time. It seemed someone always brought the subject up again just when everyone had let it go.
Diego was right, but he did not know it. Lozano, at the orders of Santiago, made sure the rumors concerning Zorro did not die down. He and some of his men kept the rumors alive. Everywhere they traveled, they spoke of how Zorro was remaining hidden while he plotted the overthrow of the government. The people were growing fearful and that fear fed upon itself. The man whom they had praised as a hero was now an object of fear for them. Diego and Bernardo found themselves at a complete loss as to what to do. There was no enemy who could be fought with a sword. Fear was a powerful, but completely intangible enemy. And Zorro could not just ride through the pueblos proclaiming his innocence. There might be some who would believe him, but most would not and they would soon convince the others they were mistaken. All the two of them could do was try and wait out the storm.
Of course, Santiago did not know the total effect his rumor mill was having on Diego. His goal was to keep Zorro’s name in the minds of the people so that when the trap was sprung on the younger de la Vega, the two of them would be inexorably linked. Santiago had never met Zorro and it would suit him if the real Zorro never made an appearance. It was merely his name and the fear he could generate around it which Santiago needed. At the appropriate time, he would have Zorro appear to certain people in order to add to the rumors. His Zorro. A Zorro whom he had created and could control. Then he would proceed to the next step in his plans. To make sure Diego was placed in several compromising situations, innocent on their face perhaps, but fully integrated into his plans. Each situation would be more incriminating than the last, culminating with his arrest on charges of treason.
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There was one small incident which changed Santiago’s plans in what was, to him, a minor degree. Bernardo, Diego’s servant, had come into Lozano’s shop to browse one morning. Santiago was there also. He was pretending to examine some finely made white shirts while he waited for Bernardo to leave. He had something he wished to discuss with Lozano and he would not do it while the servant was there. Santiago was a careful man, even with a deaf man in the room. While Bernardo was occupied with examining some belts and other tooled leather items, a thin man who walked with a limp came into the shop from the back door and stood looking around. He spotted Lozano and headed in his direction. Santiago and Lozano realized simultaneously just who they were seeing. They exchanged surprised looks. Tomaso was not supposed to be in Los Angeles. Quickly, Santiago approached both men.
"Why are you here?" he hissed in a low voice, looking at Tomaso.
"I thought I was to meet you here, Señor" said Tomaso in a normal voice. Bernardo glanced at the men talking together, but he did not pay much attention to them, except for noting the fact that Tomaso had a distinctive limp and Santiago was signaling Tomaso to speak in lower tones. Bernardo was more interested in finding a gift for Don Alejandro’s birthday which was a few days away.
Santiago looked at Bernardo and seeing that he was still occupied with his inspection of the leather goods, said in a very low tone, "You were mistaken. You are supposed to be in Santa Barbara. Lozano, hide this man until I can think of what to do. I do not like surprises." Here he gripped the hilt of his sword menacingly. "Do not ever let me catch you making such a mistake again."
"Sí, Señor Magistrado," said Lozano swallowing. Taking Tomaso by the arm, he ushered the man out of the back of the shop. He was back in a few moments. By this time, Bernardo had made his selection and was ready to pay for the ornately stitched money pouch which he thought would make a fine gift for Don Alejandro. Santiago quickly returned to his inspection of the shirts, pretending to be totally disinterested in Bernardo. Bernardo took his purchase and bowed politely to the Magistrado as he went happily out the door. Santiago watched the servant through narrowed eyes as he mounted his horse and rode away.
Turning to Lozano, he said. "There goes a loose end. We will have to take care of the servant as well. He has seen the three of us together when he should not have. When we spring the trap on young de la Vega, we will ensnare the servant also. It should be easy to have him hanged along side his master as an accomplice. I will decide what is to be done and inform you later. Now be sure and keep Tomaso out of sight. Come to my office this evening after dark and we will talk. Just be sure no one sees you."
Santiago spent the afternoon thinking about how Tomaso’s mistake would affect their plans. Then he had an idea. He turned it over in his mind and decided the man’s presence could indeed be turned into a positive thing after all. Diego was still out of town on an assignment. What better way to begin to associate Tomaso, the Eagle’s man, with Diego than to have Tomaso come into town looking for him? That evening, Santiago laid out the strategy for Lozano.
The next morning, Tomaso rode into the pueblo as though he was coming in on the road from Santa Barbara. When he entered the tavern, he was greeted by Sergeant Garcia and Tío. He told them he was looking for Diego de la Vega in order to deliver a message. The Sergeant was very helpful and gave Tomaso detailed directions to the de la Vega hacienda. It was not until the man had left that he remembered Diego was not there. He shrugged and said the man would find that out soon enough when he arrived at the hacienda, and went back to his favorite pastime of trying to wheedle just a bit more wine out of Tío.
Tío just polished a wine glass quietly and let Garcia talk as long as he liked.
Tomaso pulled up at the hacienda and tied his horse to the rail. He went to the gate and peered in, nervously rubbing his hands against the legs of his trousers. Locating the door to the house, he entered the patio and crossed it, looking around to see if anyone was about. He knocked on the door and swallowed hard as he tried to calm himself. He was not happy to be a part of Santiago’s plans and he was already nervous at having made a mistake in coming to Los Angeles. He wanted to do what he had to and then get back to Santa Barbara. One of the servants opened the door and he asked to see Diego de la Vega. Don Alejandro heard the request as he was in the sala working on his books at the time and he came to the door.
"What may I do for you, Señor?" asked Don Alejandro.
"I have a message for Diego de la Vega," said Tomaso, taking off his hat and patting the pocket in his jacket.
"He is not here, Señor," said Don Alejandro. "You may give me the message and I will see that he receives it upon his return."
Tomaso shook his head no. "I can only give the message to Don Diego de la Vega. Can you tell me when he will be returning?" He held his hat by the brim and ran it around and around in his hands nervously.
"No, I cannot," said Don Alejandro, "for I do not know. He does not confide such things in me." This came out rather more brusquely than Don Alejandro intended, but he was letting some of his own frustrations come out. He was tired of not knowing what his son was doing and where he was going.
Tomaso swallowed nervously and said, "Then I will beg your pardon for disturbing you, Señor," as he bowed and turned to leave, replacing his hat as he walked away.
Don Alejandro watched him go, wondering just what it was all about. It was probably just a part of the strange things which sometimes happened to Diego since his return from Spain. He had never seen this man before, but he knew he would remember him by the man’s curious limp and his nervous manner. Shaking his head, he closed the door and went back into the sala to finish his book work.
Santiago was pleased by the report made by Lozano. It was now established that Tomaso had been in the pueblo asking for Diego de la Vega. Even his own father could testify to that should the need arise. And when it was revealed that Tomaso was a former agent of the Eagle, another nail would be added to the coffin of young de la Vega. Santiago then had Lozano send Tomaso on to Santa Barbara to wait for further instructions.
