"Manipulations"
With the sun a red globe hovering just above the western horizon, Diego rode into Santa Barbara. His palomino snorted to clear the dust from his nose and Diego wished he could do the same. This fall was a dry one, and the dust was everywhere. He would appreciate getting into a room at the inn and having a chance to get cleaned up. As he looked around, he realized he was beginning to be almost as familiar with Santa Barbara as he was with Los Angeles. He had come here several times now as he carried out the assignments given to him by the Magistrado. Santa Barbara was about half the size of Los Angeles and did not have a formal plaza in the center of town. The town was divided into two parts, one on each side of the road that was El Camino Real. The road was broad here, wide enough to turn the drayage wagons or the coaches completely around with room to spare. The garrison was there on the west side of the road, showing its age, but still manned by a company of soldiers. On the east side, just opposite the garrison, was the inn where Diego planned to stay. The Inn of the Roses, it was called. There was only one sad little bush in front of the inn which had any claim to the title, but there were no roses in bloom now. The town stretched down to the water’s edge, and Diego could see most of Santa Barbara’s harbor as he rode into town. A great deal of cargo went in and out of Santa Barbara and that is what was bringing him to this town today. Señor Lozano was having some difficulty with the purser of a cargo ship which was now anchored in the bay. Some difference of opinion as to the settlement of a debt. Diego was to gather the facts of the case, and if he could not see a way to resolve it, he was to send word to Señor Santiago who would then come and give the matter his personal attention as a favor to Señor Lozano.
Diego was not as familiar with the people of Santa Barbara as he was with those of Los Angeles. He knew some of the people here, Señor Lozano being one of the few, but he was usually in and out so quickly there was no time to form more than acquaintances. He was to meet with Señor Lozano this evening and hear his side of the transaction in question, and then tomorrow he would meet with the ship’s captain and the purser to hear their side. Pulling up to the front of the inn, Diego stepped down from his horse and draped his saddlebags over his arm. Tossing a peso to a boy of about eight years old, he said, "Take my horse to the stables and see he is groomed and well fed. Bring him saddled again to me at nine o’clock in the morning and I will give you another coin." He smiled at the boy who happily took the reins and led the horse away.
It took only few moments for Diego to sign for a room and to be shown up the stairs. The room was even smaller than those of "La Posada" in Los Angeles, but the bed was clean and the innkeeper brought towels and a fresh pitcher of water. Diego cleaned himself up and changed from his suede traveling suit into his dark blue suit with the gold trim. He left the dark jacket hanging on the post of the bed for now. Diego missed Bernardo as much as he usually did when he was on one of his trips. Not just because of the work the mozo did as his manservant, but because of the camaraderie the two of them shared. Trust Bernardo to find something to amusing which would give them both something to laugh about. But for now, he would just have to continue on without his servant and friend.
Diego ate a quick meal in the tavern and then went back up to his room. He sat on his bed with a book he had brought with him, and decided to read until it was time to meet with Señor Lozano. He became lost in the story, and found he must have been more tired than he thought, for he was awakened from his sleep by a soft knocking on his door. Scrubbing his face with his hands, Diego noticed that it was now quite dark outside and he wondered what time it was. He got up and went to the door, pulling his watch from his pocket. Good, there was still an hour before his appointment with Lozano. Opening the door, he found the innkeeper standing there. He was a round man, with a round face brightened by a smile. He bowed deeply to Diego.
"Señor de la Vega. I have a note here which has been left for you," he said, presenting a folded piece of paper to Diego.
"Graciás," said Diego. "Who is it from?"
"I do not know, Señor de la Vega," replied the innkeeper. "The man did not give his name."
Diego opened the note and read, Señor Deputy Magistrado: If you wish to find out where Zorro hides his camp, meet me behind the church at eight o’clock tonight. Come alone. The note was not signed.
Diego was a bit stunned. "What did the man look like who left the note?" he asked the innkeeper.
The innkeeper thought hard and then said, "He was a thin little man with a mustache and he . . . he walked with a limp."
"Have you seen him before?" asked Diego.
"I may have seen him once or twice about the town, Señor," said the innkeeper. "But he has never come into my inn before. I think he stays down near the docks, maybe." The innkeeper shrugged.
Seeing the innkeeper had nothing further to offer, Diego thanked the man and tossed him a coin, shutting the door when he had gone. Diego’s meeting with Lozano was not until half past eight o’clock. He would have time to go to the church and meet this mystery man and see what he had to say. It occurred to him to wonder how someone knew he was coming to Santa Barbara, but he supposed that either Lozano or the ship’s purser might have spoken of it. They were under no restrictions to maintain confidentiality. As Diego pulled on his jacket, he was cognizant of the fact he had no weapon which he might take with him. He would just have to depend upon his ability to sense danger and avoid it. But danger or not, he had to meet with this man. Any clues to the identity or the whereabouts of the imposter could not be ignored. He did pause once again to regret that Bernardo was not with him. A second set of eyes and ears would not be unwelcome.
Diego went down the stairs of the inn and stepped out into the night. He paused a few moments to allow his eyes to adjust to the darkness. Then he took his bearings on the bell tower of the church and started walking towards it. The church was located several streets away from the inn, in a lower section of the town beyond the garrison walls. The town was not well lit, and the further he walked away from the inn, the darker it became. This did not bother Diego overmuch because, after all, he had spent a great deal of the year previous to this one learning how to handle himself in the dark. He walked next to the walls of the church, floating silently along the path which would take him to the alley behind the bell tower. He did not walk into the alley when he reached it, however. He stopped to look and listen with all of his senses. He wanted to be sure just what he was getting himself into. He saw nothing. Still he did not move. It would be some minutes until eight o’clock.
The bells of the church rang out the hour while Diego waited. When the sound died away, he heard the sound of a man walking down the street. He tilted his head and listened carefully. Yes, it was the sound of a man who walked with a limp. Holding his place, he waited and watched. Finally, a man walked up behind the church. He fit the description given of him by the innkeeper. The man seemed quite nervous, shifting from foot to foot as he clasped his hands in front of him. Seeing that no one else was approaching, Diego decided he would risk meeting the man. Leaving his place, he walked over. The man jumped and seemingly would have fled when he saw Diego coming towards him.
"No, wait," called Diego.
The man pressed his back against the wall of the church as if trying to hide.
"I am the Deputy Magistrado," said Diego as he stood in front of the man. "I am Diego de la Vega."
The man swallowed as he peered at Diego in the darkness.
Diego was growing a little impatient. "You have something to tell me, Señor?" he asked.
Nodding his head and swallowing again, the man said, "Sí, Señor Deputy. I have something to tell you. First though, is the information worth some money to you?"
Diego did not like this at all, so he said, "It depends upon what you are going to tell me, now doesn’t it? Why don’t you tell me what it is that you have come here to tell me and I will decide what it is worth."
The man nodded nervously as he looked up and down the alley.
"What are you afraid of?" asked Diego.
The man looked directly at Diego then and said, "El Zorro."
"Zorro?" said Diego. "What about him?"
"I know where he is camped in the hills and I can tell you how to find him," said the man. "He is not with his army now and he can be easily captured."
Diego did not believe for one minute there was an army in the hills, but he did know there was a man who was impersonating Zorro. It was just possible the man before him had stumbled on the imposter’s camp and could tell him where it was.
"Where is this camp?" he asked.
"No, Señor Deputy," said the man, who seemed to be gathering a little courage. "First the money and then the information." He held out his hand.
Diego sized up the situation. He would pay a great deal of money to know who the imposter was and where he might be found. But he would not let this man know that. Reaching into the small pocket in his jacket, he pulled out some coins. Dropping them slowly, one by one into the outstretched hand, he and the man struck their bargain.
After ten pesos had dropped, Diego withdrew his hand and the man nodded. He clutched the money to his chest and said, "If you ride due east from Santa Barbara for three miles and then turn north, crossing the river, you will see a large mountain. It is on the southeast side of this mountain that El Zorro has made his camp."
"The whole side of a mountain is a big place to search," said Diego. "Ten pesos deserves more of a description than that."
"Sí," said the man. "About half way up the side of the mountain are some big rocks. One is shaped like a man’s fist. It is beside this rock that Zorro camps."
"You are certain?" said Diego, searching the man’s face intently. He was having doubts.
"Sí, Señor Deputy, I swear it is the truth," said the man.
"Why do you not go to the soldiers and tell them this information?" Diego asked. "There is a big reward for the man who leads to the capture of Zorro."
"Oh no, I cannot do that!" said the man in a panic.
"Why not?" asked Diego.
"The soldiers will put me in jail instead."
Diego was beginning to become nervous himself the longer he stayed here. Just who was this man? "Who are you?" he demanded.
"Me? I am no one, really, Señor Deputy." The man took off his hat and clutched it in his hands. "Capitán Hidalgo does not like me that is all. It is all a misunderstanding. But you, . . . you will not forget me when El Zorro is captured, will you? You are an honest man. You will see that I get my reward won’t you?"
Diego studied the man. He did not like the whole set up. "I will consider what you have told me," he said. "I do not yet know if I will act on this information. But how will I contact you if I do go and Zorro is captured? I do not know your name or where you live."
"Do not worry, Señor Deputy," said the man. "If you capture Zorro, I will know. I will find you."
Just then, from around the corner of the church, both men heard the thunderous sounds of many horses. Before either of them could move, a mounted patrol of soldiers from the garrison swung around the corner of the church and came toward them.
"Tomaso!" cried Capitán Carlos Hidalgo, commandanté of the garrison in Santa Barbara. He seemed to recognize Diego’s companion immediately. "Capture him!" The soldiers surged forward. The man, whose name was apparently Tomaso, fled into the darkened streets.
Diego flattened himself against the wall of the church to avoid being trampled and waited for the soldiers to ride by. Dusting himself off, he watched as they disappeared into the darkness after Tomaso. It would seem Tomaso was right. The soldiers would put him in jail if he were captured. Diego wondered just what the charges might be.
He started walking back to the inn, thinking about what he had learned from Tomaso. Was it possible the man was telling the truth about the false Zorro’s whereabouts? There was no way to know without riding up onto the mountain. He was musing on all of this when he came out upon El Camino Real and saw the inn not far away. With the sound of thunder, he was suddenly surrounded in a cloud of dust made by the horses of the lancer patrol before he had walked twenty paces. The soldiers, on their horses, formed a ring around Diego. They sat looking at him as they waited for their leader to speak. Diego’s blood quickened, but this was something he was familiar with given his past, so he gathered himself and quietly stood his ground. Now had he been dressed in black, . . . .
The Capitán moved his horse forward a couple of steps and peered at Diego in the dim light. "Ah, so it was you, Deputy Magistrado. I thought I might have been mistaken back there at the church," he said loudly.
Deciding to be gracious, Diego said, "Buenas noches, Capitán Hidalgo." He smiled.
In a rather condescending voice, Hidalgo said, "May I ask what you were doing back there at the church? Why were you meeting that man, Tomaso?"
"Me?" said Diego. "Why, I was out taking a walk and this man came to me, asking for money." This was quite the truth, . . . so far. Diego was hoping Hidalgo would accept that. If he did decide to look for Zorro where Tomaso had given him directions, he wanted to do it alone, not with an escort of lancers, as would be the case were he to tell Hidalgo anything more. The imposter would be long gone before they would even get close.
"He wanted money, eh?" said Hidalgo, rubbing his chin. Hidalgo was a rugged man, long in the service of the military, if Diego was any judge. His speech and his manner made it clear that he was not of the gentry. He was a frontier soldier, drafted from the ranks, rising to his position as Capitán no doubt by sheer longevity.
Diego decided to ask a question of his own. "Of what crime is this man accused that you chase him through the streets, Capitán?"
"He is a vagrant and petty thief," growled Hidalgo. "He is wanted for questioning in several crimes down at the docks." Hidalgo scowled at his soldiers. There were not many who would meet his eyes as he continued, "We had him in custody yesterday, but he got away from my men." Diego surmised it was not completely the lancers’ fault that the nervous little man had escaped. But he discreetly kept his silence. Looking back at Diego, Hidalgo said, "That is all Tomaso wanted? Just some money? Did he say anything else?"
Diego decided to let out a little bit more, fishing on his own for more information. "Well, he was very nervous, and when I asked him why, he said he was afraid of Zorro."
"Zorro, eh?" said Hidalgo, leaning forward with his forearm on his saddle horn. "I have had many reports of Zorro being seen in the hills. A peon came to me just today and said he had been robbed by El Zorro." This was news to Diego. This was the first report he had heard of Zorro robbing someone. Peering suspiciously at Diego, Hidalgo said, "Just why was Tomaso afraid of Zorro? What did he say?"
Diego thought hard and came up with another truth. "He did not say, Capitán. But he looked as though he thought Zorro might come riding through the town at any moment, such was his fear."
"Humph, I’ll just bet he was afraid," said Hidalgo, straightening in his saddle. "He was afraid I would find him again, that’s what he was afraid of." Hidalgo laughed, deep in his chest. "Just be glad that we rode through when we did, Deputy Magistrado. We saved you from Tomaso and this El Zorro all at the same time!" Hidalgo laughed again. Then he said, "My apologies, Señor, to keep you here like this. Come lancers, we will return to the garrison." The lancers turned and rode with Hidalgo, leaving Diego in their wake.
The dust from their passage blew away on the night breeze and Diego looked after them a moment before going on to the inn. He knew a little more now than before, but the most troubling thing was that Zorro was robbing peons. He is no better than a common thief, thought Diego bitterly. No better than this Tomaso that the Capitán is looking for. More determined than ever to find the imposter, Diego realized he would be hampered by the work he had come here to perform. He was to meet with Lozano tonight and then with the ship’s captain and purser in the morning. Perhaps tomorrow afternoon he would have some time to himself to go riding in the hills in order to do some looking around. There was something to be said for being a free spirit, he thought to himself. When I was just a leisurely scholar and poet, my time was my own, he thought, ruefully. Nevertheless, he was determined to do his job well and to look for the imposter on his own time. He would not let the Magistrado down.
As he walked into the inn, he pulled out his watch and noticed it was exactly eight thirty. Looking around, he saw Lozano seated at one of the tables near the fireplace, a leather case beside him on the floor. When Lozano saw Diego, he picked up the case and stood. Diego approached him.
"Señor Lozano," said Diego bowing. "I hope I have not kept you waiting?"
"Not at all," said Lozano in a friendly fashion. "I have only just arrived myself."
"Will you follow me to my room?" asked Diego. "I shall have some wine sent up and then we can discuss your problem at length." Diego spoke to the innkeeper and then the two of them walked up the stairs and into his room. As they talked, Diego found that Lozano’s problem was not an uncommon one, since sending communications across vast distances was not without difficulty. Lozano had contracted to receive certain goods from the Orient in exchange for some hard currency and other trade goods which he would provide. The difficulty lay in determining the value of the trade goods being provided by Lozano. According to Lozano, the ship’s purser was not satisfied with the quality of the goods and was therefore requiring Lozano to make up the lack with currency. Lozano contended that his trade goods were worth more than the purser had valued them. Indeed, Lozano thought he was being quite generous in holding to his part of the contract and providing the amount of currency which had been agreed upon. He would have preferred to withhold some of the currency due to the higher value of the trade goods he was providing, but he was an honest man and was going to uphold his part of the bargain.
Diego knew of nothing which would lead him to believe Lozano was anything but an honest businessman. The Magistrado spoke highly of him and Diego knew that the Magistrado would not say it if it were not so. Diego read the correspondence which Lozano had in his possession from the ship’s purser and noted the arrangements. He saw that all of the custom’s documents were in order, so there was no difficulty there. He wrote down the particulars for his notes and gave Lozano’s documents back to him.
"Señor Lozano," he said. "I think we have covered all the areas of your concern this evening. I shall be meeting with the ship’s captain and the purser in the morning. I am sure we will be able to resolve this matter to the satisfaction of both parties."
"Let us hope so, Señor de la Vega," said Lozano. "I must admit that I was a little concerned when the Magistrado sent you in his place." Diego raised his eyebrows at these words. Lozano continued, "But you have demonstrated your quickness and intelligence. I shall, of course, withhold my final judgement pending the outcome of your meeting tomorrow." Diego smiled. "But if I am satisfied with the result, the Magistrado will hear of it. Just as he will if I am not satisfied."
Diego lifted his chin. He was being challenged. "I shall certainly do my best to bring equity to both parties, Señor Lozano. I will not be prejudiced by either side and will hear all the facts. I will try to model myself after the Magistrado, and handle the situation just as he would do were he here."
Lozano smiled. "Graciás, Señor de la Vega. That is all I can ask for." Diego returned the smile.
