Dealer watched Viktor put a finger to his nose and mouthed the word, "Romantic." Yes, the Americans did romanticize their wastelands. How quaint.
"Very beautiful," the Dealer murmured.
Viktor shook his head. "Very barren," he sniffed, "unlike my home. You should see it. The frozen tundra of Murmansk gleams with a purity and grace not to be found anywhere in America south of Alaska."
Lou snorted. "Beautiful Murmansk, where the popsicles and the ice cubes play."
Viktor dismissed the matter with a wave of his hand. "Kam Yin, we need to get you speaking your English more. It is quite good enough, you know, and there's an old rule to languages: If you're not sure how to say it, say it loud. Mumbling doesn't help."
Kam Yin bowed his head, and thought to leave before the old fool completely embarrassed him.
But Viktor continued. "I know just how to improve your language skills. I'll teach you the same trick I learned when I was your age."
Lou rolled his eyes. "Viktor, you can't be serious. Your friend here doesn't have the training to survive your idea of a learning strategy."
Lanie grasped Lou's arm. "What's Uncle Viktor's plan?" she asked disingenuously, knowing it would be something juicy from Pops' disapproving tone.
"I know a special drink that improves the language skills," Viktor announced proudly.
Kam Yin was intrigued. "A learning chemical?" There had been a lot of claims of such things lately, but nothing that had passed the scrutiny of the Lloyd's-Glaxo certification test.
Viktor blinked his eyes. "It only works for improving your spoken language skills," he warned. "I can get it for you right here, in the terminal."
"That would be wonderful," Kam Yin said. Imagine, advanced learning chemicals
"Very beautiful," the Dealer murmured.
Viktor shook his head. "Very barren," he sniffed, "unlike my home. You should see it. The frozen tundra of Murmansk gleams with a purity and grace not to be found anywhere in America south of Alaska."
Lou snorted. "Beautiful Murmansk, where the popsicles and the ice cubes play."
Viktor dismissed the matter with a wave of his hand. "Kam Yin, we need to get you speaking your English more. It is quite good enough, you know, and there's an old rule to languages: If you're not sure how to say it, say it loud. Mumbling doesn't help."
Kam Yin bowed his head, and thought to leave before the old fool completely embarrassed him.
But Viktor continued. "I know just how to improve your language skills. I'll teach you the same trick I learned when I was your age."
Lou rolled his eyes. "Viktor, you can't be serious. Your friend here doesn't have the training to survive your idea of a learning strategy."
Lanie grasped Lou's arm. "What's Uncle Viktor's plan?" she asked disingenuously, knowing it would be something juicy from Pops' disapproving tone.
"I know a special drink that improves the language skills," Viktor announced proudly.
Kam Yin was intrigued. "A learning chemical?" There had been a lot of claims of such things lately, but nothing that had passed the scrutiny of the Lloyd's-Glaxo certification test.
Viktor blinked his eyes. "It only works for improving your spoken language skills," he warned. "I can get it for you right here, in the terminal."
"That would be wonderful," Kam Yin said. Imagine, advanced learning chemicals