The crowd buzzed in agreement with Tessa.

Orvantes stood straight. "I am still the senior military officer here, Seņorita. The soldiers will do as I command, even if the citizens will not. The woman assaulted a military officer and will be punished."

Tessa turned to walk again. She saw from the look on Grisham's face that Orvantes was correct. Not for long, she told herself, stopping in front of Gaspar.

Turning to Captain Grisham, Tessa spoke up. "Captain, how much in taxes do we send to Monterey every month?"

"What does that have to do with this, Seņorita?" Orvantes spoke up quickly.

Tessa ignored him, looking at Grisham. "Maybe seven or eight hundred reales a month, Seņorita," Grisham replied.

"Really? Seven or eight hundred reales? That is very interesting Captain. For while we were held on the pirate ship, Colonel Montoya found out by looking through Monterey's tax records that they had put only six hundred reales paid for Santa Helena." Tessa turned toward Orvantes. "Where do you think that missing money goes, Colonel?" she asked sweetly.

The crowd buzzed, for Colonel Orvantes looked very uncomfortable. "I do not think that Colonel Montoya was looking at the correct records, Seņorita," came Orvantes lame reply. The buzz of the crowd increased.

Tessa turned back to Gaspar. She unbuttoned the shirt at her waist and pulled out the packet of documents from Voler's ship. She held it out to Gaspar, who took it and began to look through it. Several of the other Dons, heavy tax payers too, moved to look over Gaspar's shoulder. The crowd grew quiet while Tessa buttoned her shirt.

Tessa was not through. She walked up to Orvantes. The crowd edged in a little closer. "Colonel, would you like to know what other bit of information Colonel Montoya and I found out while being held by the pirates?" Tessa did not even wait. "We found out that it was you who told Captain Voler that Santa Helena had the money to pay for the Viceroy's ransom! The pirates would have never come here if it had not been for you!" Though most of the people knew of this because of the Viceroy's drunken ramblings after his release, the crowd buzzed angrily at this restatement.

Tessa turned to Captain Grisham. "Captain, is there some military charge that could be laid against Colonel Orvantes for how he acted on the pirate ship?" Tessa asked.

Grisham's answer was better than she hoped. "Sure, Seņorita. Cowardice is one that comes to mind," he said with a smile, seeing that the Dons and the crowd were completely against Orvantes.

"Captain, Colonel Montoya indicated to me that he thought the handwriting in those documents was Colonel Orvantes'. That would make Colonel Orvantes a criminal wouldn't it?" Tessa asked.

"Colonel Montoya would know best," was the reply that Grisham could not resist in giving her with a smile.

Tessa smiled in return. "Then a criminal cannot have another person imprisoned, can he?"

Captain Grisham smiled back at Tessa. "I believe you are correct, Seņorita. I will have Marta released until Colonel Montoya can review the matter."

The crowd buzzed happily at this.

Orvantes stepped toward Grisham. "You cannot do that, Captain. That is against my express orders," he said, shaking his hand at Grisham.

"Sorry, Colonel, but I think you should return to Monterey, where they need you. We do not need you here," was Grisham's even reply.

The crowd buzzed its approval.

Gaspar spoke up. "And I will be asking the Viceroy to look into these missing taxes, Colonel. It does look like your handwriting."

Orvantes turned toward Gaspar, his hand moving toward his sword. The crowd went silent immediately, so the sound of Tessa's roundhouse, openhanded slap to Orvantes face was heard over by the Chapel!

Orvantes staggered sideways several steps from the blow, spots of blood on his cheek from the popped blisters of Tessa's palm. He turned toward Tessa, hand still on his half-drawn blade. Tessa tensed as he took a step toward her!

Orvantes froze in place and Tessa was conscious of a pistol leveled at him from just over her shoulder. Then Grisham stepped around her, his pistol leveled at Orvantes' head and walked up to him. Grisham pushed Orvantes' half-drawn sword back in its scabbard. As Orvantes' sword guard clicked in, the crowd gushed with noise.

Grisham backed Orvantes up toward the fountain.

Tessa followed. "Captain, thank you for protecting me. Colonel Montoya himself was whipped twice by the pirates in protecting my honor," she stated, making the crowd pause to listen.

She stepped closer to Orvantes. "You were the cause of all that has happened here. To the pueblo, to me and to Colonel Montoya. You should find your horse and leave, for when I reach my hacienda, I will let my men know that I will pay one hundred reales if they can catch you!"

Gaspar moved up behind Tessa. "I am thinking of offering one hundred and fifty reales to my men, Colonel, so you may want to take some of Captain Grisham's men with you as an escort."

The crowd laughed at this, and Orvantes turned red in the face.

Tessa added to his shame. "Captain Grisham, do not forget to have Colonel Montoya's jacket washed before he gets back," she said, pointing to the one Orvantes had on.

The crowd laughed again.

With that, Tessa turned and began to walk toward the jail. Vera came up and held her around her waist and Gaspar came up on her other side, putting his arm over her shoulder.

Tessa and Marta hugged in the jail, Marta exclaiming over Tessa's blistered and bleeding hands. "Its my hair that I'm worried about," Tessa exclaimed, happy to be with Marta again. Gaspar, Vera and several others escorted the two women to a wagon and then out to the Alvarado hacienda.

Vera rode with the two women. "Tessa, the Doctor is going to be so mad that he missed your performance in the plaza today. He was out at Don Pedro's hacienda today for a baby."

The next several hours were a blur for Tessa. Getting back to the hacienda. Marta and Vera helping her wash. Vera's oohh's and aahh's at all her scrapes and bruises. Falling asleep in her own bed, with Marta still brushing her damp hair. . ..

.. . . Waking to find Robert sitting on her bed, holding one of her bandaged hands. Of Marta and Vera coming in before she could say anything, Gaspar too.

She gave them a more complete version of her ordeal with the pirates. Telling them of some of Montoya's actions to protect her. After Vera and Gaspar left, Tessa told Marta and Robert the rest of the story, of how Montoya suspected her of being the Queen.

Both Marta and Robert smiled at this remark, then laughed out loud.

Marta grasped Tessa's wrist lightly. "He will be very confused, Tessa, when he returns to hear that while the both of you were prisoners on the pirate ship, the Queen of Swords robbed the Viceroy of Santa Helena's taxes when he was escorted back to Monterey," she said with a big grin.

"Marta, you didn't!" Tessa said happily.

Marta grinned back at her, then at Robert. "I could not have done it without the Doctor's help," she said, pointing to him.

"Robert, what did you do?" Tessa asked.

"Nothing much, Tessa. Just a bit of distraction," Robert replied quietly, though his grin did not leave his face.

"Do not believe him, Tessa. He led the escort away on a wild goose chase, so it was easy for me to get the taxes from the two left with the Viceroy," Marta said with a laugh. "Though I know Louis, I mean M. d'Retenu was not happy at having this happen while he was there."

Tessa smiled back at her friend. "M. d'Retenu was part of the escort?" she asked.

"Yes, Tessa. He had to return to Monterey," Marta said a little sadly.

"I led him a merry chase through the hills," commented Robert.

"Tessa, you must get some rest. We will talk again in the morning," Robert said, leaving the two women alone.

"Tessa, I am so glad you returned safely," Marta said, giving her a hug. She pulled Tessa's cover up to her neck. "I will leave a glass of water on your table," she said, walking to the door. "Goodnight, Tessa."

"Goodnight, Marta. Oh, you will have to tell me everything again in the morning, and I want to hear all about you attacking Colonel Orvantes," Tessa said with a smile.

Epilogue

Three days went by without any sign of Colonel Montoya. Captain Grisham's patrols to the south did not find any evidence of him or the other rowboat.

On the fourth day, Tessa's first back in Santa Helena since confronting Orvantes, she was sitting in the shade of the Cantina with Marta, Vera, and Gaspar. The talk had been about the missing Colonel. "Don't worry," Tessa told them. "I am afraid he will show up. He is tougher than Orvantes was."

"So are you, Tessa," Gaspar remarked, bringing a laugh to the women.

Tessa picked up her wine glass with her gloved hand, Robert's bandage visible beneath the cross-stitching. She took a sip, gazing out at the plaza. Things had returned to a semblance of normal. Grisham was waiting, like everyone else, for word of Colonel Montoya.

She watched Padre Quintera walk by, on his way to the Chapel. There were several women around the fountain, filling jugs. She smiled as a poor-looking burro came into view with an even poorer-looking rider. The man's dirty bare feet hit the ground on either side of the small burro. A beat up straw hat covered the head of the slumped rider. Tessa turned back to Vera as she said something. She turned her head back to rider, interrupting Vera. Something had. . . yes, there, both the burro-rider's palms were wrapped in rags. Tessa pushed back her chair as the rider stood, letting the burro walk out from under him and stick its muzzle into the fountain. The women there spoke up to the rider. Tessa started around the table, Marta and the others too.

The burro-rider let his hat fall to the ground and dunked his head and shoulders into the fountain. Tessa stopped at the top of the steps to the Cantina, the others behind her. She watched as the burro-rider lifted his head out of the fountain, and turned around, pushing his hair back with both hands, his eyes finding hers . . ..

Padre Quintera ran in front of them, yelling Montoya's name as he headed toward the dusty man. Vera and Gaspar went forward along with the rest who heard the commotion. Tessa and Marta remained on the step, watching as Grisham came up. Then Robert walked by with his bag, slowly, with a wry glance at the two women.

They watched while Montoya was half carried up the steps to his room.

Tessa went riding early the next morning and recovered the sword she had hidden from Alejandro. Two days later, she met Montoya for the first time since his return.

Marta had driven the wagon in with Tessa to the market. Tessa was working her way toward the Cantina when she heard Montoya's voice behind her.

"Good morning, Seņorita Alvarado."

Tessa turned. "Colonel, so nice to see you about. How are your hands?" she asked, looking at the bandages wrapped around his palms. "The Doctor told me they were much worse than mine," she said, holding up her gloved hands.

"It seems I picked the wrong time to leave the ship, unlike yourself, Seņorita."

"Oh no, Colonel. You left at exactly the right time. For if you had not, I do not think things would have turned out for me as they did. You have heard the news, haven't you, that it was Mary Rose who came upon the pirates in the dark that night? She said it was a light from Voler's main cabin that guided them. She recovered some of the loot from Monterey off of Hipplewaite's ship, after catching up to it. It is too bad that Hipplewaite died in the sea battle, otherwise you might have another witness against Colonel Orvantes' conduct."

"Yes I had heard, and indeed it would have been nice to interrogate Hipplewaite . . . about the remarks made by Orvantes."

"How fortunate for us that we do not have to worry about the pirates returning."

"Yes it is," he said, taking a half step closer to her. "I would be remiss if I did not compliment you on your behavior while we were prisoners. And allow me to apologize for the way I talked to you in the storage room on the ship. It was a very difficult situation we were in. It could have turned out very different for me, for us, if you had not shown the courage you did. Captain Grisham told me how you dealt with Orvantes. I must congratulate you for that. You helped the pueblo by bringing to light his actions."

"Thank you. I was surprised myself, Colonel, at what I did, both on the ship and then to Orvantes. You said I was not in Spain anymore and that there were hard decisions to be made. I made those decisions, though I do not like myself for it. But, now all I have been doing is trying to forget it. I have not slept well."

"I am sorry to hear that, Seņorita," Tessa heard his automatic reply.

Vera and Gaspar, sitting in the Cantina, noticed the two talking together. "Look Gaspar, Tessa and Montoya. See how they are very close as they talk. Do you think romance could have blossomed between them while they were held captive by the pirates?"

Gaspar's reply was lost in the noise of the Doctor coughing at the next table, his wine having gone down the wrong way. Though, Vera seemed to be grinning at his discomfort.

Tessa noticed Marta walk by the Cantina with her basket under her arm. She turned back to Montoya. "I must go for now, Colonel. We did not finish our conversation from the beach about the Queen. But, given the news of her most recent and daring escapade in relieving the Viceroy of his taxes while we were both gone, hopefully you will not be so insistent that I am the Queen next time."

"It would seem that recent evidence continues to agree with you, Seņorita. Though, be assured, I will not rest until I see her head on a pike in the village square," he replied, reaching for her hand.

Tessa held her hand out and away, keeping him at a distance, thinking, I've heard that before, as she watched him bend to kiss her hand. When he stood, she tightened her fingers on his bandaged hand, holding him momentarily. "Do you remember when I told you that if I was the Queen, you would be my clerk?"

"Yes, Seņorita."

"Well I must confess something to you about that."

"What is that, Seņorita?"

"I have changed my mind. I would not keep you as my clerk but as my stable boy," she said, showing her teeth to him in a grin while she gave his bandaged hand a final tight pinch.

Tessa watched him grin back at her. "Oh, and isn't it good news that we all now know we need to pay two hundred reales less a month in taxes to Monterey. All thanks to you," Tessa added helpfully.

"Yes, it is news, Seņorita," Montoya said tightly.

"In fact, are not the Dons coming to see you this afternoon about an adjustment of taxes?" Tessa asked sweetly.

"Yes, I believe they are. Will you be there Seņorita?"

"I would not want to miss it, Colonel."

"Good day, Seņorita."

"Good day, Colonel."

Vera watched Tessa walk off to catch up to Marta. Colonel Montoya watched her too. "See there, Gaspar. There is something there."

Marta turned as Tessa approached her. "Tessa, hasn't it been a good day today?" she asked cheerfully.

"Yes it has Marta, and the Doctor is in his office. I think I will go see him later, to check on my hands of course."

"Yes, of course," replied Marta, looking around and smiling. "It looks like everything is back to normal."

"Normal? Well, as good as it is going to get around here," replied Tessa, smiling back at her friend and putting her arm around Marta's shoulder.

Watch for the next exciting adventure, The Hooded Stranger - Episode #304, starting on November 17, 2002.

If you have missed any episodes, you will find them in the Archives section .