"No offense," he says breezily. "My Russian is wretched, that's all. Now, if you want to switch to French, that's a little more my style."

He smooths back his hair, then, and sighs, "I can stand, at least. Oh, God, I can't describe what I'd do for a hypo of synergine, though. I don't suppose you have any synergine...?" He eyes the guerrillas. "I don't suppose they have any synergine..."