"The Deceptive Heart"

ACT TWO FADE IN. - DAY - DON DIEGO & FELIPE Don Diego is giving Felipe a fencing lesson, driving him back, then expertly parrying the clumsy counterattacks. DON DIEGO Thrust! . . Parry! . . That's it.  Now, riposte! . .Ugh, what a dilemma. Parry! . . How do I tell my father that the woman he loves is a schemer involved with another? . .Parry! . . It will break his heart. . . But tell him I must! DON ALEJANDRO (o. s.) Tell me what, Diego? Don Diego suddenly acts as if he's never held a sword in his life, "tripping" over an ottoman and sprawling on the floor. Don Alejandro ENTERS, shaking his head in disappointment. DON ALEJANDRO (CONT) Give it up, Diego. Try as you will, you'll never be the swordsman that scoundrel Zorro is. . .You have something important to tell me? DON DIEGO Yes. . .I - that is - I did, but the exertion has driven it right out of my head. Don Alejandro can only shake his head dubiously. INT. THE TAVERN - DAY - FULL - AS ELENA and a Bar Girl watch disapprovingly as Ramirez fleeces the Vaqueros at cards.  They grumblingly leave Gomez alone with Ramirez at the table. ELENA (to the bar Girl) Warn the customers, Alicia.  We can't let this card shark rob our regulars. AT THE TABLE - RAMIREZ lays out four aces to Gomez's full house.  He rakes in the pot. GOMEZ (seething) Aces again?  Extraordinary. RAMIREZ I've had a run of luck. GOMEZ But bigger sleeves. . . (tosses fifth ace on the table) How long do you think you'll keep the money you've cheated us out of? Ramirez's grin fades.  A derringer snaps from his cuff. Gomez pales.  A beat, then in a whisper: RAMIREZ I can kill you here and now.  If you swear to cooperate with me, you live. . .and maybe you and your men will get your money back. GOMEZ Cooperate?  How? RAMIREZ By being available to me.  One never knows when one might need the services of scum like you. Without a choice, Gomez nods fearfully.  Ramirez gestures with his pistol, and Gomez rises, shambles off.  PAN TO a bemused Elena. EXT. HACIENDA GARtEN - DAY - FRANCISCA is walking idly when she hears VOICES from further down the path. She moves stealthily, and Don Diego and Don Alejandro come INTO VIEW.  Don Diego is frustrated. DON DIEGO An Easter wedding?  Isn't that being a trifle hasty, Father? DON ALEJANDRO How ironic!  The young are always so impetuous, and they have all the time in the world. . .while I-- TWO-SHOT - DON DIEGO AND DON ALEJANDRO DON DIEGO --and (exasperated) if she's not the woman you think she is? DON ALEJANDRO Your tone troubles me, Diego.  Do you know something I do not?  I beg you, tell me now if you do! DON DIEGO (summoning courage) Father. . .this is so difficult to say-- Francisca abruptly ENTERS SHOT, interrupting. FRANCISCA Alejandro, dearest. . .I've been looking for you. DON ALEJANDRO Ah, Seņora. . .Diego and I were just discussing the wedding. FRANCISCA We have so much to prepare. DON ALEJANIDRO Precisely.  You'll both have to excuse me.  I have an appointment with my lawyer. (to Don Diego) Francisca has suggested a contract. . .and I have agreed. He kisses Francisca's hand and exits.  She and Don Diego are silent for a moment, drawing battle-lines. FRANCISCA You don't trust me, do you, Don Diego? DON DIEGO (vehemently) The word has no place in your vocabulary, Seņora!  A good friend whose word I do trust was witness to your meeting with your lover last evening. The words hit her like a blow.  Her eyes fill, but she shows her class in the way she holds it together. FRANCISCA I see.  Little wonder you mistrust me. . .and how can I convince you that what your friend saw was not what it appeared to be, between Ramirez and me? DON DIEGO Ramirez. . .your lover? FRANCISCA Once.  I was younger, without parents and easily seduced.  Later I realized what a monster he was, but by then I was virtually his slave. DON DIEGO My friend did not see a master and slave embracing at the Tavern! FRANCISCA (despite herself, she cries) Please believe me!  He's jealous.  His temper is fierce. If he thinks I don't love him. . .He has killed before. DON DIEGO When and how was this conspiracy conceived?  The truth! FRANCISCA Two months ago we were on the boat out of San Carlos.  Ramirez's luck had run out. He was desperate.  I'll regret to my dying day for having introduced him to a kind, open-hearted woman . . .who told us of her correspondence with your father. DON DIEGO Seņora de la Pena. FRANCISCA Her last letters, with the suggestion of marriage, were written by Ramirez, in my hand. DON DIEGO You would marry my father, and this scoundrel gain control of his estates. . .And the real Seņora de la Pena? FRANCISCA Ramirez drowned her off the boat.  She was presumed to have committed suicide. DON DIEGO Mia madre. FRANCISCA I beg you, free me from this monster!  He'll be at cards in the Tavern later.  Have him arrested, and I will testify to his crime! DON DIEGO (a long beat) First you must swear to me that you'll be on the next coach out. You will leave a gentle but firm message to my father explaining 'a change of heart.' FRANCISCA Anything. . .I swear! DON DIEGO Then assuredly I shall be at the Tavern.  And assuredly Ramirez shall hang. He exits.  Francisca looks after him, then moves off quickly. INT. FRANCISCAS ROOM - ANGLE TO WINDOW - DAY - FRANCISCA enters and scribbles a note, then from under the bed takes Ramirez's strange box and opens it.  She brings out a homing pigeon, rolls her note into the holder on its leg, then opens the window and releases the pigeon. EXT. THE HACIENDA - DAY - DON DIEGO meets Felipe. DON DIEGO Saddle the roan mare, Felipe.  I must go to the Pueblo immediately! Felipe is about to move off, when Don Diego is diverted by the FLAP OF WINGS from above. SHOT - THE HOMING PIGEON winging from the house to the Pueblo. AS BEFORE DON DIEGO Wait! (tboughtfully) Ring-necked and mourning doves, grouse and quail. . .all abound in California. . .But homing pigeons?? EXT. THE PLAZA - DUSK - ANGLE TO RAMIREZ with both pistols, a sword at his side.  The Plaza is empty of people.   He looks off to: POV - LONG SHOT - AN APPROACHING CARRIAGE The Driver looks like Don Diego, dressed as we last saw him. BACK TO RAMIREZ who signals up to nearby rooftops, CAMERA TILTING, where we see Gomez and his Vaqueros hidden with their flintlocks. THE CARRIAGE nears Ramirez. We see it is indeed Don Diego. RAMIREZ Don Diego. . .I have a message from your future stepmother, Francisca. . .FIRE! He fires both pistols, and a simultaneous VOLLEY comes from Gomez and the Vaqueros. CLOSE ON CARRIAGE DRIVER It is a dummy, its face the wax bust of himself that Don Diego sculpted!  The dummy and bust are destroyed by gunshots. The head falls off and bumps to the ground, rolling to the feet of RAMIREZ aghast.  He hears HOOFBEATS and turns to see: ZORRO on Toronado, rearing to a stop nearby. ZORRO Thank you for wasting your shots on a dummy, gentlemen. Let's see how fast you can reload! GOMEZ & VAQUEROS know when it's time to leave.  They retreat off the roof. RAMIREZ (drawing sword) You'll wish you dealt with those idiots rather than with me, Seņor!  En garde! ZORRO leaps off Toronado and draws his sword.  They salute and start to duel.  The fight takes them up and over the various produce displays.  Ramirez is an expert swordsman. ON ELENA as she exits the Tavern and watches the duel, reacting. MENDOZA exits the Jail and watches, his Soldiers behind him. MENDOZA Hmph. . .if Zorro loses, I miss the pleasure of putting him in irons. If he wins. . .Stand ready! THE FIGHT is acrobatic, but finally Zorro attacks relentlessly, flicking Ramirez's blade from his grip.  The hurtling sword buries itself inches from Mendoza's head.  Ramirez trips and falls, and Zorro's tip is immediately at his throat. ZORRO I think I'll save you for the hangman, Ramirez. Zorro turns away.  The derringer snaps from Ramirez's cuff. ELENA Zorro -- look out! Zorro turns, his whip already in motion, curling around the derringer and pulling it from Ramirez's hand! ZORRO (to Elena, bowing) Your eternal servant, Seņorita! MENDOZA Alright men. . .Zorro is ours!  Arrest him! The Soldiers move forward, but ZORRO vaults a hitching post into Toronado's saddle. ZORRO Sorry to disappoint you, Mendoza. (points to Ramirez) Keep an eye on that one.  The name's Ramirez.  He's a murderer.  And Don Diego will bring evidence enough to hang him. (to Elena) - Seņorita. . .till we meet again! And he's off. ELENA watches him gallop off, disgruntled. ELENA 'Til we meet again?. . .buenos dias, Elena. . .adios, Elena.  If we met for more than the usual three minutes, you would not always depart in such a hurry, Caballero! WIDE Mendoza and his Soldiers take Ramirez into custody. FADE OUT. END ACT TWO

The Teaser

Act I

Act II

The Tag

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