- Black thinks this is pretty good, but White goes further and says that reality really is as dark and desperate as you can imagine. Human evil and folly run rampant, and nothing improves; humanity will probably exterminate itself soon.
- However, Black says he can relate to these kinds of thoughts—he's still thinking about them, in fact. White says he's stopped thinking about them, though (because he's finished with humanity).
- Black suggests that White might be wrong, but White doesn't think so.
- Black reads a (fictional) report from the newspaper out-loud about how a man committed suicide in the subway station, and bystanders reported that his last words were, "I am right." It's like White's obituary.
- White says he views the other commuters as people living in the same abysmal hole as he does; he doesn't think he's special. But Black says he doesn't see why White can't accept the fellowship of other desperate, suicidal people—you know, at least feel some brotherhood there.
- Black says he thinks White views himself as having better reasons than them for killing himself—intellectual, world-class reasons—and he asks if White's education might be driving him to suicide. But first he tells him to wait.
- Black writes something down and hides it in his shirt pocket. White says, in answer to Black's question, "That's the most ridiculous thing I ever heard." Black takes out the paper and gives it to White. It says the same thing he just said: "That's the most ridiculous thing I ever heard." Boo ya.