Krupp She’s a wonderful woman, Nick. We’ve got two of the swellest boys in the world. Twelve and seven years old.

The Arab gets up and moves closer to listen.

Nick I didn’t know that.

Krupp Sure. But what’ll I do? I’ve wanted to quit for seven years. I wanted to quit the day they began putting me through the school. I didn’t quit. What’ll I do if I quit? Where’s money going to be coming in from?

Nick That’s one of the reasons we’re all crazy. We don’t know where it’s going to be coming in from, except from wherever it happens to be coming in from at the time, which we don’t usually like.

Krupp Every once in a while I catch myself being mean, hating people just because they’re down and out, broke and hungry, sick or drunk. And then when I’m with the stuffed shirts at headquarters, all of a sudden I’m nice to them, trying to make an impression. On who? People I don’t like. And I feel disgusted. (With finality.) I’m going to quit. That’s all. Quit. Out. I’m going to give them back the uniform and the gadgets that go with it. I don’t want any part of it. This is a good world. What do they want to make all the trouble for all the time?

Arab (quietly, gently, with great understanding) No foundation. All the way down the line.

Krupp What?

Arab No foundation. No foundation.

Krupp I’ll say there’s no foundation.

Arab All the way down the line.

Krupp (to Nick) Is that all he ever says?

Nick That’s all he’s been saying this week.

Krupp What is he, anyway?

Nick He’s an Arab, or something like that.

Krupp No, I mean what’s he do for a living?

Nick (to Arab) What do you do for a living, brother?

Arab Work. Work all my life. All my life, work. From a small boy to old man, work. In old country, work. In new country, work. In New York. Pittsburgh. Detroit. Chicago. Imperial Valley. San Francisco. Work. No beg. Work. For what? Nothing. Three boys in old country. Twenty years, not see. Lost. Dead. Who knows? What. What-not. No foundation. All the way down the line.

Krupp What’d he say last week?

Nick Didn’t say anything. Played the harmonica.

Arab Old country song, I play. (He brings a harmonica from his back pocket.)

Krupp Seems like a nice guy.

Nick Nicest guy in the world.

Krupp (bitterly) But crazy. Just like all the rest of us. Stark raving mad.

Wesley and Harry long ago stopped playing and dancing. They sat at a table together and talked for a while; then began playing casino or rummy. When the Arab begins his solo on the harmonica, they stop their game to listen.

Wesley You hear that?

Harry That’s something.

Wesley That’s crying. That’s crying.

Harry I want to make people laugh.

Wesley That’s deep, deep crying. That’s crying a long time ago. That’s crying a thousand years ago. Some place five thousand miles away.