"Ah," she says, in a tone that bespeaks some familiarity with the aftermath of war. "So, yes, there's poverty of that level here, in this city and a few of the others. Very few actual homeless, but some squatters in buildings that aren't fit to live in and haven't been knocked down yet. Much less of that now than there was when I first got here, thank god.... And then there are the hills."

She reaches to take a tiny stuffed sandwich from a passing servitor's tray, with a smile and a murmured thank-you, before continuing.