"Honestly, I think it's an advantage, backwards as that sounds. It's the people who've had it soft that suffer this place more. Takes street smarts, living here." It's an advantage that they share, in fact, given Vrenille's past. But he doesn't offer this because so far he's had no indication that Ed is interested in hearing.

"You mentioned Gotham--I've heard other people name it too. Not that I can pretend to know much, but it's never sounded like the lap of luxury."