The Joker And The Fool

6.(4) A new regime

6.4

Those pale and shocked faces, with fat burning cigars between the lips and glasses of expensive bourbon at the hand, stared at her from across the entire table. Some turned sourer, some turned quite relaxed, others seemed not to know what to express. But Diana merely sat back and smiled quite charmingly. She was both amused as she felt it was pathetic.

"What are you doing here, Diana?" asked Penguin in a quite serious manner.

It had been a week since she and Zsasz had spoken to one of the twins (she still did not know which was which). He had informed Zsasz of this meeting. Which she had wanted to attend. And she had done so.

It was not as if she had never been present at a meeting. But it was more than unusual for anybody to show up unpronounced and uninvited. Penguin sat at the head of the table with his hands in one another. It reminded her of the many lectures she once received from Thomas Watson. But on top of that another member spoke as if he had not even heard Oswald speak. As if he had been most captivated by her.

"And what's with that smug grin?" asked he as he showed a look of slight disgust.

Though, this disgust could have easily been mistaken for sheer misunderstanding. And she could not care for much of it. She had reached the table, and there could not be a future in which she did not own her place there. Now that she was there, Penguin could not deny it. Diana knew this, for Diana had been speaking to Francesco and Warren for a long time. They were 'friends'.

To what Diana turned to the gentleman who had spoken and looked at him for a moment. She saw that he was intrigued yet in a way he appeared to be degrading. Her grin turned to a smile.

"Life has been good to me." she said merrily.

She felt somewhat nervous however she felt lucky as well for it was visible that her nervousness seemed more like excitement. It seemed like terrible and dangerous excitement. The men that knew her at the table, did not know her as a nervous nor clumsy person.

"Diana." repeated Penguin in the same manor. 

To what her happy face turned to a quite fearsome one. As if she thought back of the reason why she was there. For a moment she doubted if she could lie or if it was better to be truthful. One thing she was sure about, she needed to be indirect. Imagine if she told a table full of the roughest gangsters in Gotham that she had murdered one of their companions. Perhaps it was better to leave the question of Roman's absence unanswered for the time being. After all, if these men could not understand that Roman was dead, they should not have received the opportunity to rule the entire city nor would they have been capable to do such a thing.

"Roman decided that he wanted to be removed from the picture." Diana said ever so polite and humorously "Leaving me responsible for his possessions."

The table became loud as the men discussed aloud with one another. From the very moment she spoke of Roman it was clear that he was unalive. Especially in their world. Diana was content to see that at least a few of those men understood this. But she was not afraid anymore.

"I was clear to you, Diana." said Penguin atop of the sound, to what all men turned silent.

He had ignored most of the rumble. He looked only at her as if they were the only ones there. And they had discussed her wishes more often. He had never agreed to lending her but a small amount of power. He was afraid of her; he was intimidated by her. He would never jeopardize his own position for a good deed and a favour. He did not agree with her. So, when it came down to a favour and his own position, he would make no mistake of sacrificing their friendship for his own good. But she had expected for him to do so anyways.