"He gives us the Viceroy now?" asked one Don. "Then we must accept it!"

Montoya listened as the Dons talked back and forth. Most favored accepting the proposal. He held up his hand, and the conversations fell away. "Gentlemen, and Seņorita, I hear most are for acceptance. M. d'Retenu, please let us hear your comments."

"Colonel, we have beaten him once by surprise. If we had to do it again, it would be much more difficult. You have taken away his reason for the attack with the removal of the valuables from the pueblo. If he does come back, we can go to the hills. His time spent here puts them in danger. A Spanish ship," this drew jeers from several of the Dons, "or Mary Rose's ship could happen upon them at any time. I believe they are at the disadvantage. Finally, the amount of soldiers needed to properly guard the sixty men are that many less that you can employ in our defense. If you agree to his proposal, just be prepared for him to return. The pueblo will be better off."

The conversations began again. Montoya listened to most of them. "All right. Thank you," he said stopping them. "We will agree to the proposal, and we will continue to guard our coast." He saw most heads nodding assent.

Montoya turned and with Grisham and Gaspar, walked back down the beach.

Voler turned and stepped to meet him. "Well, Colonel, what will it be?"

"We will take the Viceroy as you said. Three days from now, the men will be sent off in the boats."

"With oars, Colonel," put in Voler, with a smile.

"With oars, Captain," replied Montoya, deadpan.

"Will you allow Lieutenant Traduct to explain what will take place to the prisoners?"

"Yes. Of course, Captain Grisham will escort him to make sure that is all that is said."

"Of course," replied Voler.

"Then that completes our talk, Colonel," said Voler. He turned and gestured to Traduct. Traduct cut the Viceroy loose. Gaspar went forward quickly to help the Viceroy up the beach. The two were quickly surrounded by the other Dons.

"As you said, Captain, that completes our talks." With that, Montoya made to turn.

"Wait, Colonel. What of Colonel Orvantes?" he asked.

Montoya turned back to him, a small grin on his face. "He is your guarantee that we will let your men go in three days. Though, as I said, I thought Colonel Orvantes had left Monterey. The man you have may be an impostor. When you get to the Pueblo de los Angeles, the Alcalde there will know if it is really him, and will pay the ransom. Though since he was in charge of Monterey's defense and allowed the Viceroy to be captured, do not ask for a large ransom. It may be refused."

"I see," Captain Voler said with a tight grin. "Well then Colonel, goodbye."

"Goodbye." Montoya watched Voler walk back to the boat and talk to Traduct for a moment before getting in. Traduct began to walk toward him. Montoya waved for Captain Grisham to come over.

Later, Montoya watched the ship sail off. A word to Gaspar had the Dons keeping the Viceroy company and entertained. He and Grisham checked the guards on the prisoners and those up and down the coast.

For three days there was no sighting of the pirate ships, so Montoya escorted the pirate prisoners to the shore and set them off in the three boats. The Doctor had worked steadily on the wounded pirates. He saved many, though when they walked, limped, or were carried to the boats there were only fifty-three of them left. The small boats were overcrowded, but the pirates set off, rowing steadily south-west.

Montoya kept his distance from the Viceroy, conscious of the furious look he had received when he sent him back to the pirate ship that first time. He let Gaspar and the other Dons entertain the Viceroy.

He was pleased when, the day after the three boats rowed away, Captain Estevan rode into the pueblo with an escort of lancers. Montoya was in the plaza when Estevan rode up and jumped off his horse in front of the Cantina.

"Colonel, Monterey has been attacked by pirates and the Viceroy kidnapped!" began Estevan.

Montoya watched as laughter and guffaws from the Cantina porch greeted Estevan's announcement. Then, Estevan's puzzlement and consternation turned to embarrassment when the Viceroy himself walked out of the Cantina followed by Gaspar and several other Dons. It was a pleasure to hear the matter-of-fact denouncement of Estevan and his troops from the Viceroy. He sent them to remain on the shore and patrol up and down to help watch in case of the pirates' return. He told them to talk to the soldiers here to learn what it meant to be victorious. It was obvious to Montoya that the Viceroy had drunk too much wine, but it was nice to hear.

Montoya was kept very busy checking to see the soldiers kept a good watch for the return of the pirates. Three weeks passed with no sign of them. A message came from Mary Rose, saying she had ranged down to Los Angeles and back up to Monterey without seeing the two ships. The Viceroy departed for Monterey under the escort of Captain Estevan. He took with him Montoya's taxes. Gaspar mentioned that it was Orvantes who identified Santa Helena to the pirates. This came from the Viceroy during one of the many evenings he spent drinking with the Dons.

Montoya smiled at that, for there had been no word heard of Orvantes. Messengers came from the south, reporting possible pirate sightings but no real proof.

The Dons pulled their men off the coastal guard points and sent them back to work. Things settled back to normal.

Montoya's thoughts returned to Seņorita Alvarado.

Epilogue

Tessa sat back in the saddle as her horse cropped some grass. She felt the morning sun on her shoulders. She looked around, taking in the red tint of the high clouds out to the west. She could see several sea birds just over the next hill circling, then diving out of sight.

This was the second day she had ridden back toward the beach on her morning rides. She had thrown on the black skirt she wore yesterday, along with a plain white blouse. She took her gloves off and reached into the pocket in her dress and pulled out an apple. She began to polish it absentmindedly on her sleeve, looking out at the clouds. She took a bite of the apple and while she chewed, swiped her sleeve at her chin to catch some juice that dripped there.

The sound of a horse broke her reverie and she looked from the clouds to a horseman coming toward her. She recognized Montoya immediately and groaned inwardly. He came up to her quickly. He had a loose white shirt on, open at the collar. She could see his horse's legs were still wet and shiny from running in the surf. His right pant leg was wet near the top of his boot. His horse was still skittish from its run and he worked his gloved hands to keep it steady next to her horse.

She took another bite of her apple, then raised it in a greeting to him. He smiled back quickly and turned his horse so it walked up facing her horse. She watched him put one hand on his hip.

"Good morning, Seņorita. A good morning for a ride is it not?" he asked her.

"Good morning, Colonel. Yes, it is. I was just enjoying the sun and colors of the clouds." She watched him sit up and turn to take a brief look at the clouds to the west. Then, he turned back to her, hand back on hip.

"Yes, a fine morning though those clouds may mean a little rain for us later this evening," he replied.

Tessa took another bite of her apple. She was uneasy. This was the first time she had been alone with Montoya since their morning talk about the Queen several weeks ago. She had not forgotten that cavalier kiss of her hand, either. She chewed slowly.

"I was glad to see you here this morning, Seņorita. I had been meaning to speak with you again on the subject of our last conversation."

Oh no, careful Tessa, she thought.

"Your observation that I had not really looked at the Queen as a woman would look at her. That intrigued me."

"How so, Colonel?" she asked, taking another bite of her apple. She watched him nudge his horse forward a few feet. His horse's head was now even with her leg as was her horse's head with his. He crossed his gloved hands on his pommel and leaned over them, peering at her.

"Well, as you noticed during our last conversation, I let it slip that you are one of the women I believe could be the Queen of Swords. You ride well enough to be the Queen."

Tessa threw back her head and laughed, inadvertently spitting out several pieces of apple. She wiped her mouth with her sleeve, and smiled at Montoya.

"Yes, yes. I know what you said before," Colonel Montoya continued quickly. "That if you were the Queen, I would be your clerk."

"Colonel, please. Stop," Tessa said with a big smile on her face. "You cannot really believe I am the Queen."

"That is what I am trying to say, Seņorita. But as you said, you are intelligent, you can ride as good as most men, and you can shoot. . .."

"Colonel," Tessa interrupted him. "Are you making up to me? Because if you are . . . ."

"No Seņorita. What I am trying to say is that I agree with what you said. That I had not looked at the Queen like a woman would look at her."

Tessa kept the smile on her face, not really knowing where Montoya was going with this but sure she was not going to like it. She reached down and held the rest of her apple so Montoya's horse could take it. Then she wiped her hand on her skirt. Tessa looked at him and began to pull her gloves on. "What are you saying, Colonel, do you want to look at my hair a bit closer to see if it is the same length as the Queen's?"

"No, no, not at all, Seņorita. What I am trying to do is ask that you work with me. That you work closely with me as we reexamine all of the women who could be the Queen."

Oh no, was Tessa's immediate thought, then, He is just trying to get close to me, either because he does think I am the Queen or...or, does he just want to be close to me? Like that roguish kiss on the hand. Tessa laughed out loud at the thought of her enemy. . ..

"You laugh, Seņorita. But it is a good idea. You are observant. You know everyone in our area. You and I can ferret out who she is. . .."

"No Colonel, stop. Please. Give me a moment," Tessa said, still grinning at her previous thought. To give herself more time, she nudged her horse to a walk, turning back in the saddle to watch Montoya swing his horse around so he could come up beside her. She caught his eyes as he pulled his horse around. They were the hard eyes of the real Montoya. She saw him blink and the hard eyes were gone as he came up beside her. It sent a shiver up her spine. She knew he was after her, personally.

"Seņorita, it is an idea that you yourself proposed to me. Who better should I ask to help me with it?" he asked while his horse settled into step along side of hers. He reached across and lightly put his hand on top of hers.

Tessa jerked her hand back involuntarily from his touch, pulling her horse's reins sharply. She was not sure if a look of disgust had crossed her face. "Wait, Colonel. Let me think," she said sharply.

"Seņorita, with your perception - "

"No, I cannot do it, Colonel," Tessa said quickly, pulling her horse to a stop and trying to think of what reason to give him.

"Seņorita, why? Don't you want to help catch this criminal?" he asked her, stopping beside her.

"It is because I do not think of her as a criminal," she said, speaking the truth.

"Not a criminal. Of course she is a criminal, Seņorita. She has killed solders. . ."

"Soldiers who tried to kill her."

"Not kill her, but capture her. To bring her to trial, to justice."

"Justice! Ha! You showed me your justice the first time I met you by executing one of my father's servants."

"A servant who had broken the law, Seņorita."

"No!" Tessa cried. "I knew that man, his wife. . ." Tessa reached out and poked Montoya hard on his chest, making him flinch, ". . . and you killed him in front of me!" she yelled, tears springing to her eyes. She put her hand to her mouth, knowing she had let her revulsion of him show. She watched him through tearing eyes, his reaction to her emotion was to look down. But when he looked back up, his eyes were the hard eyes she had seen before.

"I had thought you were over that incident, Seņorita. But it appears not," he said harshly. "You must realize that you are not in Spain anymore. Not in some court where the biggest decision of the day is whether you will light a candle to a saint! You are in a world where there are dangers all around. You make decisions that affect the lives of your workers every day! I made a decision that day to execute a thief. It is over. Done with. Put it out of your mind!"

Tessa worked to hold her horse steady. Both of their horses were prancing back and forth because of the emotional outbursts of their riders. Tessa grabbed her horse's mane with both hands, trying to think. "I do not want to help you catch the Queen," she said. "You will kill her just as you killed. . ." She saw Montoya's eyes widen in alarm, looking beyond her. He was pulling on his reins. She pulled her reins, and turned to her left to see - WHAM!

Darkness.

Watch for the next exciting adventure, Two By Sea, part two - Episode #303, starting on November 10, 2002.

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