Daine hesitates, in part because of how desperate he sounds, and, maybe a little, because of that last bit. It's true that he's been here longer than she has - and that he's more familiar with the way the city works. But it seems impossible that this horrible 'street cleaning' thing could be real; surely someone would have mentioned it before now.

"So you're saying this is normal, then? Street cleaners roll through the city and grind people up?" She plants her hands on her hips and raises a challenging eyebrow at him. "Why would anyone live here if that was true?"