Part Two
by Karla Gregory
Diego walked into the tavern followed by Bernardo. There were two vaqueros by the fireplace playing a duet on their guitars and most of the tables were full. Bernardo was looking all around and turned to Diego and shrugged his shoulders to say that he did not see the stranger anywhere. Diego motioned him to go to the bar as he looked to where Sergeant Garcia was sitting with Corporal Reyes.
Both men had empty glasses that they held in their hands and looked into from time to time as they sighed. Diego smiled to himself and walked over. "Sergeant Garcia, imagine that I would find you here! And Corporal Reyes too. And here I thought I would have to drink my wine alone. Innkeeper! A bottle of wine if you please!" He seated himself smoothly and enjoyed the looks of joy on the faces of his two companions.
"Gracias! Gracias, Don Deigo! It is so good to see you too!" said Sergeant Garcia, a huge smile lighting up his face. Corporal Reyes even managed to look more awake than usual.
Diego looked around and raised his hand to indicate the tavern, "Well, Sergeant. Is there anything of interest going on tonight? I was getting bored at home and decided to come and find someone to talk with. What is the news of the pueblo?"
"There is nothing much going on Don Diego," said the sergeant, looking at the bottom of his glass again. Diego poured some more wine. The thanks for the wine was a little garbled as the sergeant drank deeply again. He wiped his mouth with his hand. "Just another day like so many others."
"Oh?' said Diego. "I thought I had heard that there was a stranger who had come into town today."
"A stranger? Who told you there was a stranger in the pueblo, Don Diego?" asked the sergeant.
"Bernardo was in town earlier today and he told me he saw a stranger in the tavern. You were there, Sergeant, were you not?"
"Oh, Si, si. I remember now. I keep forgetting about your little mozo. Yes, there is a stranger in the pueblo, Don Diego."
"He is an acquaintance of Senor Basilio, is he not?" asked Diego.
"Si, but I do not know his name or why he has come to our pueblo, Don Diego," said the sergeant, shaking his head.
Diego looked suprised. "But I thought it was your duty to examine the papers of all strangers to Los Angeles, to find out who they are and why the are here?"
"Yes, it is, Don Diego, but Senor Basilio told me not to bother the stranger and escorted him to the Inn personally. I do not know how I am going to enter this in my daily report." The sergeant was not as neat as he might have been about a lot of things, but he was meticulous in his record keeping for the cuartel.
Diego was growing more interested in the stranger all of the time. Along with Bernardo's information, these new facts were making the stranger grow more mysterious all of the time. His attention was attracted by Bernardo's signal and he looked up on the stairs where his servant was pointing. The man coming down the stairs must be the stranger he was looking for. He looked back to Bernardo for confimation. Bernardo nodded his head once.
The man would have turned heads anywhere that he went. A man of about thirty or so, he had a head of hair that was almost completely white while his brows and mustache were dark, almost black. His eyes were such an intense blue color as to make you think of icy winds blowing in winter. They darted quickly around the room and never seemed to linger long in one spot. It was rather disconcerting to watch. He carried a sword strapped to his right side, and Diego's experience told him that the man knew how to use it. But a left handed swordsman would be most unusual indeed.
The stranger swept out of the tavern, but as he passed Diego's table, his eyes met Diego's and for a moment Diego felt like he was in extreme danger. But the man did not linger and continued out of the tavern. Diego looked at the closed door of the tavern for a long time after the man was gone. He had never been close to anyone who had affected him like that before. He shared a look with Bernardo. Yes, indeed, they needed to find out all they could about this mysterious man.
And soon.
************end part two***********
