[ She recognizes the subject change and accepts it readily. She doesn't mind talking about her world. ]

The monsters far outnumber the animals, for starters. There are animals in and around the towns — mostly pets, dogs and cats, because wild animals don't fare so well out there.

[ After a beat: ] It wasn't always overrun with monsters, but no one remembers a time when it wasn't. That was a long, long time ago, before the planet was civilized. The Lunar Cry began then.