Do people struggle a lot now, where you're from? I'm not sure I've seen anywhere where people were starving...though it was hard to afford good food sometimes...and in some places they had to worry more about predators than money.

[He's genuinely trying to reason through this in his head...but he also sees that counter in the distance, and perks up at the sight. Is that the place? Could it be? He tries to rub the book some more with his sodden sleeve, in case the person at the desk gets unhappy about it being soaked.]