Smiley is busy concentrating on the creatures, so Griffin's sudden manhandling catches him by surprise. It's confusing, to say the least; he has no idea that the Core has made him a Void, so the questions make even less sense. It's almost nostalgic. He hasn't heard demands like this since he was in more active duty. At least this proves him right about one thing. Griffin is every bit as paranoid as one of the scalphunters.

He keeps his mind clear, though Griffin's arm forces a hacking cough from him. There had to be a quick way to reassure him that there was nothing threatening here besides the monsters. He thinks back to their brief conversation on the NV, and then he speaks softly in rather rusty Russian.

"If I told you my name was not Vladimir, would I be more trustworthy?"