"Hey," she says, pointed. "It's my question, kid."

There's the principle of it, but then there's also the dodge, temporary as it may be: ending up in Boston is a whole story, but where she lines up with the as world Ellie knows, the world of Joel and Marlene and Tommy and all those people, that's trickier.

"You pass much in the way of Quarantine Zones on your way out there? Any other settlements that aren't overrun with hunters or Fireflies or whatever?"