The scene opens with a soliloquy by a bored old man. He's been listening to the conversation between the two men, and he's bored. He wants to know what's going on. The old man tells him that he just left zircon and bort with him, and that he misses his partner. He tells the old man that he'd like to work with him again, but that he hasn't heard from him in seven days. He says that he feels like it'd be rude to talk to him out of turn, since he was his last partner, and now he doesn't know what to do with himself. He feels like he should lose his arms or something, but he can't, because bort is so logical. He also says that his fear of losing his yellow diamond makes him tense, and this makes him nervous. He suggests that he start fighting by fighting however he likes, and then he'll know that it's time to get rid of the yellow diamond.