خائنان

CHAPTER SIX

Traitors

That evening, Don Diego arrived at his father’s house.

‘How are you, son’ asked Don Alejandro.

‘Tired, father. My journey from town was long.’

Then Don Diego spoke of Zorro’s visit to the Pulidos’ country house, and of Sergeant Gonzales looking for the outlaw at Fray Felipe’s house. Then he went on to tell his father of how they whipped Fray Felipe.

‘What cowards - to do this to a priest! But why are you here?’

‘I’ve decided to marry Senorita Lolita Pulido.’

‘Fine. She’s from a good family.’

‘But she’s refused me, because I didn’t court her.’

‘Right. So she won’t marry you?’

‘Don Carlos still hopes so.’

‘Then court her! Listen: if you don’t marry in three months’ time, I’ll leave all my money to the church when I die.’

‘But Father.’

‘I mean it. Why can’t you be more like Zorro? He has some life in him at least!’

Just then, they heard horses outside, and a knock at the door. A servant opened it, and ten young gentlemen walked in with swords and guns at their sides.

‘Don Alejandro, we need food and drink,’ one of the gentlemen explained. ‘We are riding after Zorro.’ Then he spoke of the outlaw’s visit to the town square and what followed.

‘Have you seen the criminal here’ he finished.

‘No,’ said Don Alejandro.

‘Don Diego, did you see him on the highway?’

‘I’m thankful that I didn’t,’ answered the younger Vega.

Then Don Alejandro called for food and wine, and the young gentlemen sat down at the table. Before they started, they put down their swords and guns, and servants moved these to a far corner. Don Alejandro didn’t want any trouble.

Soon after this, Don Diego stood up. ‘Senores,’ he said. ‘I’m going to bed. Excuse me.’

‘Come back when you’ve rested,’ said one of his friends.

Don Diego went to his room and locked the door.

‘What’s the matter with him’ Don Alejandro thought.

He sat with his son’s friends, who were now drinking and singing loudly.

‘I’d really like Senor Zorro to walk in here now,’ cried one of them. ‘Then we could show him a thing or two.’

‘Senores,’ came a voice from just inside the front door. Zorro stood there in his cloak and mask, a gun in his hand.

‘Give me my sword I’ll stand and fight him,’ cried one of the young men sitting at the table.

‘After all that wine you won’t stand very well,’ laughed Zorro.

‘Then I’ll fight you,’ said Don Alejandro, getting up angrily. ‘I agree with most of what you’ve done, but you mustn’t talk to my guests like that.’

‘I spoke truly, Don Alejandro,’ answered Zorro, ‘and I refuse to fight you.’

‘Then I’ll make you,’ cried the old man, moving nearer.

‘Senores,’ said the outlaw, turning to the young men again, ‘will you leave this old gentleman to fight in your place?’

‘No’ one of them cried. And with that, two of his friends pulled Don Alejandro back to his seat at the table.

‘Look at you,’ went on Zorro, ‘eating, drinking, and forgetting the troubles of those who are poorer and weaker than you. Take your swords in your hands and fight for justice. You’re all from good families. You must fight against those who steal in the king’s name.’

‘Traitor’ cried one young man, jumping up.

‘Sit down, or I’ll shoot,’ went on Zorro. ‘Look, I came here to show you how to live better lives. If a group of the best families in the country come together to fight for what’s right, the governor will have to agree to change. Here’s an adventure. Don’t turn your backs on it! Fight against everything that’s wrong, and you’ll be famous. Or are you afraid?’

‘Us, Never’ cried many voices.

‘Will you lead us’ asked one young man.

‘Yes,’ answered Zorro.

‘But are you a gentleman’ asked another. ‘We know neither your face nor your true name.’

‘My family’s as good as anyone’s here,’ Zorro answered. ‘But for now my face and name must stay secret.’

‘Wait Does Don Alejandro agree with this? We’re his guests after all,’ said another young man.

‘I’m fully behind you,’ cried Don Alejandro with fire in his voice. All the young men cheered. With the Vegas on their side even the governor would not fight against them.

‘What shall we do now’ one of them asked the outlaw.

‘Go back to Reina de Los Angeles tomorrow morning. Say that you didn’t catch Senor Zorro. Find other young men who think like you. And be ready to fight for justice. I’ll send you word when the time comes. Do you agree?’

‘We do!’

‘Good. And now I must go. Don’t try to follow me.’ With that, Zorro went quickly out into the dark night, and they heard his horse galloping away.

Then the young men drank to Zorro, justice, and the Vegas. Don Alejandro felt terrible because his only son was asleep through all of this. Just then, Don Diego’s door opened, and he came out sleepily. ‘Why was everybody cheering’ he asked. ‘I couldn’t rest with all that noise!’

‘Senor Zorro was here,’ explained Don Alejandro. ‘We have lots to tell you.’

Next morning, the young men rode back into town with Don Diego. ‘Why did Father send me with them’ he said to himself. ‘I don’t like adventures!’

In the square they met the other young gentlemen who went after Zorro the night before. Some spoke of seeing the outlaw, and the young gentlemen with Don Diego smiled at this.

Then Don Diego went to his house. A little later, in his finest suit and carrying a guitar, he travelled by carriage to visit Senorita Lolita at her father’s house.

She sat with him on the veranda, and he told her how they whipped Fray Felipe the day before, and how Zorro whipped the magistrate. She began to like Don Diego better.

But then he said, ‘My father will give his money to the church if I don’t marry soon. Do you want this to happen?’

‘No. But many women would like to marry you, surely.’

‘What about you?’

She answered softly, ‘You’re a gentleman, Senor. So I’ll tell you my secret. I refuse to marry a man that I cannot love.’

‘So you love another’ said Don Diego.

‘Yes, I do’ answered Senorita Lolita.

‘But if I stop courting you now, your father will be angry. So I’ll go on for a while. It’ll stop me going on any more adventures.’

Lolita laughed at these words. Her mother and father heard this, and felt hopeful. Then Don Diego began playing the guitar and singing - badly - to their daughter.

The messenger carrying Captain Ramon’s letter had a surprise when he arrived in Santa Barbara. The governor’s fine carriage stood outside the fort there. His Excellency was visiting the town, rewarding his friends, and punishing his enemies.

The soldier took Ramon’s letter to him at once. The governor read it interestedly. ‘There’s trouble in Reina de Los Angeles,’ he told the captain of the Santa Barbara fort. ‘I must travel there early tomorrow to stop it.’

The next morning, the same day that Don Diego went courting, the governor and his men arrived in Reina de Los Angeles. He went to the fort and listened to what Captain Ramon could tell him about the Pulidos.

‘These traitors must go to prison as an example to others,’ said the governor. His soldiers left for the Pulidos’ house at the same time that Don Diego arrived back in town in his carriage.

Don Carlos’s face went white when the soldiers told him, ‘Don Carlos Pulido, you’re a traitor. You must go to prison at once on the governor’s orders.’

But when he learned that Dona Catalina and Lolita had to go with him, he became very angry.

‘You can’t put my wife and daughter with all the town criminals’ he cried. But the soldiers did not listen.

‘Why did you refuse Don Diego, daughter’ said Don Carlos after the prison door closed behind them. ‘Without him as your husband there’s no hope for us.’

‘Don’t worry, Father’ said Lolita. ‘I’m sure that a friend will punish those who have put us here.’

She saw in her heart a man in a black mask and cloak coming to help them.