FADE IN.

INT. THE HACIENDA - THE SALON - DAY - FRANCISCA

appears, out of her traveling clothes and looking even more radiant.
Don Diego and Don Alejandro await in the dining area, where a lunch
is laid out and a Serving Woman pours wine.   Don Diego is impatient
with his Father.  He nudges him as Francisca approaches.  Sotto voce:

DON ALEJANDRO

Stop kicking me, Diego!  You expect me to follow a lady into
her chambers?

DON DIEGO

You had the opportunity to ask her earlier!

DON ALEJANDRO

She was tired from the journey!

DON DIEGO

Then now!

DON ALEJANDRO

Riqht!
(to Francisca; brightly)
I trust your rooms are to your liking, Seņora.

FRANCISCA

Quite beyond my expectations, Don Alejandro.

DON ALEJANDRO

(as Diego nudges him again)
The north window frames the San Gabriel mountains.  To the west,
on a good day you will see the ocean--

DON DIEGO

(interrupting)
Excuse me, Seņora de la Pena...My Father may give you a lesson in
local geography from now til doomsday.  But he refuses to
ask a very simple question that plagues us both.

FRANCISCA

(a trace of guilt)
Ah. . .you speak of the cameo, Don Diego.

DON DIEGO

Yes.  The cameo.

DON ALEJANDRO

Yes, yes, yes, of course.  The cameo.
(brings the object out)
You were good enough to send me this, Seņora?

FRANCISCA

I did.

DON DIEGO

You are certainly not that lady.

DON ALEJANDRO

(quickly)
I cannot say I'm disappointed, but--

FRANCISCA

(interrupting)
I confess to the deception, gentlemen.  Don Alejandro, try to
understand.  Five years ago I was a young widow, lost in grief
and -- despite the attentions of others who sought my hand -- lonely.
I joined our correspondence society and found there a man of
honor. . .integrity. . .romantic imagination. . .you, Seņor.  The
warmth of our letters grew.   We reached out and met each other at a
level of intellect. . .reason. . .even affection. . .that I had never experienced.

DON ALEJANDRO

So true, dear lady.

FRANCISCA

But our letters could not tell me what you expected in me. . .I am many
years younger than you, Seņor.

DON ALEJANDRO

And so very beautiful!

FRANCISCA

I wanted you to desire me for what we shared in our letters, not for
my years. . .
(with difficulty)
or my beauty.

You were testing my sincerity.

(nods)
The cameo is of my distant Aunt Abigail.  She is happily married
and a grandmother.

(overwhelmed)
You fill my heart, Seņora.  Of course I forgive you in the matter
of the cameo.  And with due respect to your Aunt Abigail
(for Don Diego)
and her grandchildren. . .if a man is promised silver, does he
refuse gold?

DON ALEJANDRO (CONT)

A toast, Diego. . .to a noble lady.
(to Francisca)
Seņora. . .to the ties that bind sympathetic souls.

Don Diego takes his glass, but doesn't drink.  There is concern on his face.

ride in at full gallop, yahooing and generally raising cane.
Their leader is a big fellow called GOMEZ.  There are fresh
produce stands, livestock for sale and basket stalls.

ANGLE - VAQUERO #1

leaps his horse over a careta of produce, scaring the proprietor.

ANGLE - VAQUERO #2

on the gallop snags a goat-bladder of wine hanging behind a display and drinks.

ANGLE - VAQUERO #3

takes his horse through livestock, scattering chickens and ducks.

ANGLE TO JAIL - MENDOZA

and several of his Soldiers appear.  The Soldiers huddle behind
him, eyeing the mayhem worriedly.  Gomez rides up, as:

MENDOZA

Ayy. . .Gomez and his vaqueros.  Nothing but trouble.  Why
now?  My sister's prepared a puchero capable of raising the dead.
My stomach cries for it!

Hola, Mendoza!

Hola, Gomez. . .Your men are disturbing the peace.  In the name of
his Majesty's Government in New Spain, I order you to order them to cease
and desist!

You order them, Mendoza.  My men have been driving cattle three
months straight.  They're hungry, thirsty, and looking for a good time!

(mumbling)
Lord help our Pueblo!
(to Soldiers)
Men. . .Arrest them!

MENDOZA (CONT)

How I wish the Alcalde were here!  Ah, yes, he would have a course
of action. . .
(thinking)
The Alcalde is a great admirer of Napolean, and Napolean has said an
army marches on its stomach. . .
(thinking)
I think my course of action is to eat lunch first, then I'll personally knock
some heads together.

EXT. HACIENDA GARDEN - DAY - DIEGO & FRANCISCA

stroll together after lunch.

FRANCISCA

Your concern is all over your face, Don Diego -- but only natural.   Don
Alejandro and I have come together under unusual circumstances.

(smiles)
To say the least.

As a good son, you fear for his happiness.

Letters are one thing, Seņora, marriage quite another.

And you do not want him hurt.
(gently)
I am a stranger to you, Don Diego.  But to your father I'm already
a good friend. . .

I have seen it.

Is there a better foundation for marriage than friendship?  Beyond
that, he has won my heart.   He is everything I could desire in a man --
and a husband.

DON DIEGO

Thank you for your candor and your understanding, Seņora.

DON DIEGO

Please excuse me, Seņora.  Felipe tells me our prize bull is loose
in the cow pasture.

Of course.

INT. TORONADO'S CAVE - DAY - TORONADO
looks up alertly as Don Diego and Felipe enter.  The latter is
frantically signaling to Don Diego.

DON DIEGO

What, Felipe?  You come from the Pueblo, and Gomez and his
vaqueros are up to their old tricks. . .Go on.
(more signals)
They're making trouble in the tavern.  Saddle Toronado!
Let's see if Zorro can't teach these ne'er-do-wells a lesson in courtesy!

Felipe grins and nods enthusiastically, as Don Diego reaches for
his sword and whip. . .

INT. TAVERN - WIDE - DAY

A Guitarist is playing a rapid flamencan dance.  Gomez and
his Vaqueros are forcing a pretty Waiting Girl, ALICIA, to dance with
them.  Elena watches this action with increasing ire.

AT A TABLE - MENDOZA

prepares for a large supper.  But he knows trouble is afoot.

MENDOZA

What does Gomez have against food? . . First lunch. . .now supper!

The Guitarist finishes.  Elena strides angrily toward Gomez.

ELENA

Gomez. . .Get your pigs out of my Tavern, and as much as it pains
me, your drinks will be free.

I can think of better refreshment, Seņora. . .Your lips.

ZORRO (o.s.)

One moment!

ZORRO (CONT)

Forgotten your manners, Gomez?  On your knees before a lady!

Zorro's whip snakes downward, curls around Gomez's ankles and
brings him to his knees with a thud!  The Guitarist resumes playing,
punctuating the action.

WIDE - VAQUERO #1

charges the staircase, where Zorro meets him midway, ducks a blow,
then pushes the man over the rails onto a table below.

Vaquero #2 starts toward Zorro with a chair.

MENDOZA
starts his meal amid the racket.

MENDOZA

Sometimes Zorro can be a blessing.  Now maybe I can eat in peace!

MENDOZA
is about to sample his soup when the stump lands in the bowl!

ZORRO
is fending off Vaquero #3 with his sword.  As he does so, he sees
Gomez threatening.  He picks up a dinner plate and sails it around
his back, like a frisby, at

GOMEZ

The plate hits him on the head then ricochets across to

MENDOZA

who is about to take a bite out of a burrito. The plate knocks the burrito out
of his hand and he champs into thin air.

ZORRO
moves to Gomez, who is standing groggily, and his sword flashes three
times across his chest.  Gomez turns INTO CAMERA to reveal
the perfect Z across his chest, the Mark of Zorro!  Enough is enough,
and Gomez retreats out the door, followed by his battered Vaqueros.

MENDOZA

(to Zorro)
You might at least have let me finish my supper, Zorro!  Now it
is my duty to arrest you.

Ah, but hasn't the Alcalde often said that a good soldier is a
well-fed soldier?

True.

Then your duty is to your supper, Mendoza.

But when I'm finished, you'll be gone.

INT. KITCHEN - ZORRO & ELENA

ZORRO

Anger brings a very pretty blush to your cheeks, Seņora Elena.

(fervent)
It is not my anger that makes me blush so.

ZORRO

The Alcalde's men!  I must be off before Mendoza
finds courage in his porridge.

EXT REAR OF TAVERN - DAY - ZORRO
drops from the roof to the ground. O.s. he HEARS a WAGON.

THE WAGON
driven by a Boy with a large sombrero, who stops furtively under
the rear balcony of the Tavern, stands on the wagon seat and
hoists himself up to the balcony.  ANGLE UP as one of
the balcony doors opens and the Boy hurries inside.

ZORRO
is perplexed.  He vaults off the wagon seat up to the balcony.

ON THE BALCONY - ZORRO
moves to a window adjacent to the door.  He steals a look inside.

ZORRO'S POV - THE GUEST ROOM

The Boy's back is turned. He is facing the man we shall know as
RAMIREZ, a gambler in black, cruel and haughty.  On the
bed nearby is a brace of pistols and a strange-looking box with
air holes in it, to which Ramirez now gestures.  Then --
suddenly -- the Boy throws off the concealing sombrero and Francisca's
tresses tumble onto her shoulders!  Ramirez and she pull
into a hungry embrace!

ON ZORRO
watching, unseen.  His expression is very grim.

FADE OUT.