Ruth digs deeper, implying that Eric's art is not a proper reaction to the horrors of WWII, which she does not minimize, but is rather a retreat into a dark labyrinth of Anti-Music. She understands that Eric has some mad notion of extracting sound from human bodies and playing it as an instrument for his new music. Thus, if Helene stays with Eric she will contribute to a dark music indeed, as well as to her and his ultimate commitment to the spirit of negation.

Helene, this harlequinade, this barbarous idea of Eric's to extract music from your body is demonic. Far from restoring our musical soul, it plunges us into the midnight of negation. Look, Helene, out the window. See the Hudson below. Listen to the wind coming from the hills beyond. Go from this horrible hatred of music to the true home of your Phoenix song.