Oracle

Chapter 6

What do I say to her? Do I say anything to her? And even if I did would she believe me? I mean, I don't know how close Dinah is with this "Raymond" persona but I would think she would at least listen to me... hopefully... I smile as she sits back down, with a smile that is not as wide as before. Did he say something to her to turn her against me?

"Look, Barb..."

Uh oh... not good.

"I know you've had it rough and all, but..." She trails off, unsure of the 'correctness' of her next words.

"No, please," I say as I force the corners of my mouth to stay up, "continue."

"You can't just blame everything on Raymond because your life hasn't been great."

What... "Excuse me?"

"Don't play dumb, you're smarter than that."

"If I'm so dumb, then please, inform me of how I must not know what in the hell you are talking about."

"Because you're jealous... afraid? I don't know, but you don't just point fingers at my boyfriend and call him Raz."

"It's Ra's..." I stop. "Wait... what?"

"He said you started to interrogate him, like he was that creepy assassin. Calling him Raz-"

"Ra's...."

"Whatever!" She looks around the restaurant, regaining some composure. "Look, I don't know if you have some form of PTSD from all this..."

"Dinah-"

"But you really need to talk to someone, before you break everyone else around you."

She moves to get up, and I quickly force her arm back down on the table. "Will you let me talk? Please?" She doesn't get up, but she is not happy about staying, "I don't even think you will believe me... I mean, you never met him so I didn't expect you to know who he is-"

"Get to your point, Barbara." She snaps.

I cringe. "Raymond is Ra's al Ghul, Dinah. This man is not the man you know, and he is trying to turn us against each other right now."

"I knew it. I didn't want to believe it, but he told me you would say this-"

"Of course he would!" I take a deep breath, "He's a psychotic, manipulative, killer, who is using you to get to me."

She slings her purse over her shoulder, "You're pathetic, you know that?"

I clench her wrist, ensuring she hear me, "He threatened to kill you, Dinah, and I cannot live with myself if anything would happen to you because of me." She still has her head turned away from me, "Look, I'm not asking you to leave him. I'm warning you, as a friend, as a sister, that this man is not who he says he is and he will only reveal that to you when he thinks you have no other choice but to follow along with his plan.

He wants us to turn on each other. He wants me to stop my investigation. He has something much bigger in the works that neither of us can see in this moment, and that scares me more than you can imagine... but it doesn't scare me half as much if I know you still trust me. That's all I ask... just trust me... please."

The silence is deafening between us. This is always what I've been afraid of: losing my best friend. There is next to nothing I can read from her body language. Her facial muscles are still.

"Look, if you don't believe me... if you're not sure if it's true... tell him we had a great conversation, and that I think he's a great guy. He guarantee he will smile and leave the room. He will feel the need to brag to someone. At that moment you must listen in on him because he will be calling that someone... someone who is involved in the plan he has created, and possibly the assassin who is to target you. Only by his conversation will you understand... I can lead you to the information, but only you can know whether or not it is the truth."