[ Being stared at fixedly for a long period makes Harold tense, which makes Bear tense, but he holds his place. Although Bear goes stock-still in preparation for action during the long pause, when Carver finally moves and asks a question he relaxes a bit again as Harold lets out a breath.

It's a strange question, but one Harold doesn't have any difficulty answering. He's put considerable thought into the conundrum of their stated purpose here already, and if he thinks it's a bizarre question from a bizarre person asked in early dawn hours, he doesn't show it. It's a natural topic of conversation in their circumstances, and Harold does not characteristically talk down to anyone, so he doesn't couch his response. ]

Aren't they all? [ he asks rhetorically. ] Or rather, who is suitable to judge if they're not?

The whole question is fundamentally absurd and unanswerable. Weighing lives does not become an easier task on a grander scale.