She replies with a quick burst of Russian, a few stock phrases. She also 
gives him a look like she doesn’t know what he’s trying to tell her. The trooper
shifts toward the telecom, pointing, jammering ever more vehemently. When he’s
near enough to touch the unit, Tikki reaches over, pries the gum from the lens 
of the telecom’s visual pickup, and pops it into her mouth. The gum is what this
is all about.