White: Let’s stick with you for a minute.
Black: All right.
White: Can I ask you something?
Black: Sure you can.
White: Where were you standing? I never saw you.
Black: You mean when you took your amazin leap?
White: Yes.
Black: I was on the platform.
White: On the platform.
Black: Yeah.
White: Well I didnt see you.
Black: I was just standin there on the platform. Mindin my own business. And here you come. Haulin ass.
White: I’d looked all around to make sure there was no one there. Particularly no children. There was nobody around.
Black: Nope. Just me.
White: Well I dont know where you could have been.
Black: Mm. Professor you fixin to get spooky on me now. Maybe I was behind a post or somethin.
White: There wasnt any post.
Black: So what are we sayin here? You lookin at some big black angel got sent down here to grab your honky ass out of the air at the last possible minute and save you from destruction?
White: No. I dont think that.
Black: Such a thing aint possible.
White: No. It isnt.
Black: Well you the one suggested it.
White: I didnt suggest any such thing. You’re the one put in the stuff about angels. I never said anything about angels. I dont believe in angels.
Black: What is it you believe in?
White: A lot of things.
Black: All right.
White: All right what?
Black: All right what things.
White: I believe in things.
Black: You said that.
White: Probably I dont believe in a lot of things that I used to believe in but that doesnt mean I dont believe in anything.
Black: Well give me a for instance.
White: Mostly the value of things.
Black: Value of things.
White: Yes.
Black: Okay. What things.
White: Lots of things. Cultural things, for instance. Books and music and art. Things like that.
Black: All right.
White: Those are the kinds of things that have value to me. They’re the foundations of civilization. Or they used to have value. I suppose they dont have so much any more.
Black: What happened to em?
White: People stopped valuing them. I stopped valuing them. To a certain extent. I’m not sure I could tell you why. That world is largely gone. Soon it will be wholly gone.
Black: I aint sure I’m followin you, Professor.
White: There’s nothing to follow. It’s all right. The things that I loved were very frail. Very fragile. I didnt know that. I thought they were indestructible. They werent.
Black: And that’s what sent you off the edge of the platform. It wasnt nothin personal.
White: It is personal. That’s what an education does. It makes the world personal.
Black: Hm.
White: Hm what.
Black: Well. I was just thinkin that them is some pretty powerful words. I dont know that I got a answer about any of that and it might be that they aint no answer. But still I got to ask what is the use of notions such as them if it wont keep you glued down to the platform when the Sunset Limited comes through at eighty mile a hour.
White: Good question.
Black: I thought so.
White: I dont have an answer to any of that either. Maybe it’s not logical. I dont know. I dont care. I’ve been asked didnt I think it odd that I should be present to witness the death of everything and I do think it’s odd but that doesnt mean it’s not so. Someone has to be here.
Black: But you dont intend to stick around for it.
White: No. I dont.
Black: So let me see if I got this straight. You sayin that all this culture stuff is all they ever was tween you and the Sunset Limited.
White: It’s a lot.
Black: But it busted out on you.
White: Yes.
Black: You a culture junky.
White: If you like. Or I was. Maybe you’re right. Maybe I have no beliefs. I believe in the Sunset Limited.
Black: Damn, Professor.
White: Damn indeed.
Black: No beliefs.
White: The things I believed in dont exist any more. It’s foolish to pretend that they do. Western Civilization finally went up in smoke in the chimneys at Dachau but I was too infatuated to see it. I see it now.
Black: You a challenge, Professor. Did you know that?
White: Well, there’s no reason for you to become involved in my problems. I should go.
Black: You got any friends?
White: No.
Black: You aint got even one friend?
White: No.
Black: You got to be kiddin me, Professor. Not one?
White: Not really. No.
Black: Well tell me about that one.
White: What one?
Black: The not really one.
White: I have a friend at the university. Not a close friend. We have lunch from time to time.
Black: But that’s about as good as it gets.
White: What do you mean?
Black: That’s about all you got in the way of friends.
White: Yes.
Black: Mm. Well. If that’s the best friend you got then I reckon that’s your best friend. Aint it?
White: I dont know.
Black: What did you do to him.
White: What did I do to him?
Black: Yeah.
