Nikki couldn't believe it. Two meetings the the Lady in that many months? She was stunned.
But then, the recent news was stunning too, so, perhaps not.
"So, he told you," Lisha mused as Nikki entered her office and sat down. "I have to say I am surprised he said anything so soon after your last breakup - that was a fairly major one considering. Still it says much about how serious your relationship is."
Nikki stared. That was certainly not the reaction she was expecting.
"You... you knew about Ike being an alien?"
"Of course I knew," Lisha replied. "Why do you think your relationship with Isaac is so important to me, hmm?"
"Oh! I umm, I..."
"So, tell me what he told you."
Trying to cut down on the stammering, Nikki related all that Isaac had told her about aliens. When she was done, Lisha nodded consideringly.
"The problem I'm facing is that although I have spies all over the place, I can't get them into the one place in the alien community I need them the most. However, Isaac does have connections with the people I'm trying to get through to. Of course, I'm not naive enough to suppose they would discuss sensitive subjects with Isaac, however, you may have the opportunity to engage them socially, and that does present some potential opportunities. Right now we're so starved for intel from that quarter I'm willing to pursue even unlikely possibilities such as this."
"You... you don't me... I'm... I'm to go back to him?"
Lisha stared at Nikki and groaned.
"Please don't tell me you're afraid of him?"
"He's an alien!"
"So am I!" Lisha thought to herself in disgust, then said aloud: "So?"
"So... I... well... he..."
Lisha closed her eyes and sighed.
"What exactly is the problem? Anything specific? Powers, perhaps? Maybe some anti-mutant sentiments in there? Or is it just xenophobia?"
"What? No, I'm fine with mutants. But I mean... aliens... they... well..."
"Well, what? Spit it out, girl - I have no desire to waste time. Aliens aren't really much different from mutants at the end of the day."
"Well... what if we're... not... y'know... He never, umm, well, slept with me so..."
"Oh for goodness sake! Not all humans feel the need to have sex before marriage, why can't those same sentiments apply to aliens?" Lisha said disgustedly. "You clearly weren't paying any attention when he said that Daths and Sems were adaptive. He doesn't just look human, you know, he's fully functional as a human. He's not going to magically grow three heads overnight or anything."
Nikki looked down, feeling embarrassed.
"How long has it been since you last spoke to him?"
"About a week ago."
"Hmph, well, you'd better get back to him soon and start asking lots of questions like you're trying to understand. No you're definitely going to learn to understand and you need to convince Isaac - and yourself for that matter - that you want to stay in the relationship. If you take too long getting back to him, he is going to have to contact... his people in the alien community and have a telepath block all of your knowledge of the existance of aliens, and Isaac will break up with you once and for all," Lisha warned her. "And of course, if a telepath does do that, they'll find out you're still working for us, not merely 'lying low'. I don't particularily care for that possibility myself."
" And at the first sign that that's going to happen, I'll kill you myself," Lisha added in her own mind.
Nikki swallowed hard.
"O-okay," she said nervously.
"Now the people I was you to get to are..." Lisha considered her next words. "Isaac should be the one to tell you all about the alien stuff, not me - he may notice if you know something he hasn't told you yet. However, there are multiple alien organisations and Isaac is a member of the major one. The people I want you to get to are people in authority of that organisation and/or in their security division. Make sure that Stella is kept up to date with everything. She'll see to it that you get any spy devices you require."
"Okay."
"Say, 'yes, My Lady'."
"Yes, My Lady."
"Good girl," Lisha nodded. "You know, this does speak well for your relationship with Isaac. He never would have told you if he wasn't very serious about you. Now."
Lisha leaned forward and began to exercise her coersion. She had learnt to use it very carefully - it had a tendancy to remove the ability to use inititive and that was something she needed most in her spies.
"If you are ever captured and asked about me, you will not be able to describe me. You will not even admit that you have ever met My Lady. Is that understood?"
"Yes, My Lady," Nikki replied solomnly.
"Good," and Lisha released her power, knowing all would be well. "You have my leave to do whatever it may take to get into the nerve centre of YI-err... that organisation Isaac is with. Continue meeting with Stella as always."
"Yes, My Lady."
"You are dismissed."
Nikki nodded and departed. Lisha sat back in he chair. She would stay in Tulsa long enough to make sure that Nikki would convince Isaac she was going to hang around, and then she would move on. She'd spent more time here than she really could afford and she really did need to move on to the next node in the Fudge Gang network.