"Russians are very smart people" Katerina began "Artists, scientists, mystics, writers. But we always pick stupidest person to run country. Peter, he was smart." (Peter the Great was reputed to have founded the ROSS.) "Tzarina Katerina, she was smart but not Russian." (Even before the Great Change, Katerina was known to have kind of a thing for Catherine the Great, the subject of many drunken arguments as Katerina claimed that despite the silence of the historical record the great German-born tzarina had been as great a lover of women as Katerina herself) "Other than those two, Romanov idiots, Communist idiots, post-Communist idiots. Can you believe current idiot actually wants to start a war? Still wants to show she has biggest dick in world of no dicks. Only in Russia."
"Why are you telling me this?" said Savannah.
"Just don't be surprised if you hear some strange news out of Russia next few days. Your government not be surprised either. ROSS likes working with American Occ-Ops, no time for new Cold War foolishness."
++++++++++++
"Barry is such a fun person" said Millie "And so good for Regina!" Millie had been worried about Regina ever since the legendary "there is no physics" flipout shortly after the Great Change. Regina had sheepishly returned to her job and was teaching physics with what at first appeared to be undiminished enthusiasm, but off the job she just seemed to be worried all the time without ever explaining why. The relationship with Jenna Negrotti hadn't helped, but since Barry had shown up Regina was considerably more cheerful.