smugly. "And I do think he uses it better now than when we first met him. Uncle Viktor was right—vodka really does improve your speaking if your main problem is just that you're worried about how bad it is."
Lou grunted. "Well, it's the strangest good deed I've ever seen. Can we go now?"
Viktor dragged himself slowly to his feet. "Of course. Lanie, thank you once again for a job well done."
"Nothing to it, Uncle Viktor. I wanted to thank you for agreeing to teach me explosives. We start tomorrow, right?"
Lou leaped from the chair. "You promised Lanie what?"
Viktor stretched and moved sluggishly for the door. Lou came up to him with his hands curled in a position well-suited for wrapping around the Russian's neck. Viktor