"Maybe they're sun-damaged."

She giggles. "Could be! I've never heard of that effect of law-light before, but there are always more things to learn."

"Would that every failing of society could be truthfully blamed on light poisoning~."

She snuggles both her Captain and Stowaway with a fond smile.

Snuggle. 

"What failings of society does the Neath still have?"

"Liars, cheats"

"The Masters of the Bazaar, Seekers, serial killers, factionalism"

"Exploiters, abusers, rapists"

"Violent bigotry — though about species rather than sex — and senseless rules about rationing immortality"

"Spirifers"

"Ugh, yes, the trade in souls."

She tenderly squeezes her captain.

She takes a breath, then smiles lopsidedly. "So yes, people continue to find ways to be awful, and still give in to the poison of what's been done before. But we try to make the best of it, and keep fixing what we can."

"I don't know what all of those things are."

"The Masters of the Bazaar are our local corrupt authorities, imposing censorship and terrible constables, and hiring thugs to break up strikes. The Seekers of the Name are a violent and murderous cult."

"Spirifers are those who extract souls from people and sell them. It's an awful business, made worse by the fact that the soulless can walk and talk and interact, so the vulnerable think it's safe. It's not. Effects vary, but I've known people to change an awful lot after their soul was removed."

She shakes her head and snuggles her ship and her new friend tighter. "Any others you had questions about?

"--I mean, isn't it better for them not to be dead, even if bad things happen to them...?"

"Death mostly isn't the alternative there. There are devils trying to market the loss of one's soul as a good thing, and buy them from people who don't understand the effects it can have. There are other ways to get money than losing a part of who you are."

"I mean--if the Devils are powerful--I guess the Devils might not be powerful..."

"Hell is not so powerful that they can demand souls from the unwilling en masse. The vast majority of souls are extracted as legal and contracted sales from the ignorant and desperate."

"There's--there's two questions. There's, can the Devils approach London and say, 'give us all your souls,' and there's, if you're poor and powerless and alone, do you have any defense against any Devil who takes an interest in you."

She smiles softly, "Oh, you're just a delight, clever and thoughtful and asking good questions. They didn't remotely deserve you, on the surface." She gives the girl another squeeze, then impulsively kisses the top of her head.

"To the first, no, Hell is not nearly strong enough to threaten London. There was an attempt at an invasion of Hell, shortly after the Fall, but it went terribly wrong. As it stands, London is not strong enough to conquer Hell, but hopes to be eventually."

"As to the latter question, Devils are roughly on par with humans in terms of physical capabilities. They don't have any particular advantages, and must rely on their cunning. This is why they use lies and trickery to convince people to give up their souls, rather than taking them by force. It ever happens, but usually only to an already-incapacitated human."

"...But if they have money, they can pay people who are strong."

"Hell may have money, but most devils don't have enough money to hire thugs, nor does Hell have enough money to stop London from gathering as many allies as they can and crushing them if they become that much of a threat. Hell is satisfied with the current balance, and can't afford to destabilize it."

"But if people weren't selling their souls, the equilibrium would be different, and Hell wouldn't like it as much."