nekrotzar emerges, singing a motif, exclaiming "away, you swagpot! lick the floor, you dog! squeak out your dying wish, you pig!" piet responds in kind, with confused drunken statements, until nekrotzar at last tells him to "shut up!". piet must become death's slave and retrieve all of his "instruments" from the tomb. as nekrotzar's threats grow deadlier, piet accepts them with only amused servility, until he is told his throat is to be "wracked with thirst." he objects, because his master had "spoke of death, not punishment!" as nekrotzar explains his mission, accompanied by percussive tone clusters in the lowest octave of the piano and the orchestra, a choir joins in, admonishing "take warning now, at midnight thou shalt die." nekrotzar claims he will destroy the earth with a comet god will send to him at midnight. a lone metronome, whose regular tempo ignores that of the rest of the orchestra, joins in. nekrotzar, making frenzied proclamations, dons his gruesome gear, accompanied by ever more chaotic orchestra, women's choir, and a bass trombone hidden on a balcony, his characteristic instrument. he insists that piet must be his horse, and piet's only protest is to give his final cry, "cock-a-doodle-doo!" as they ride off on their quest, the lovers emerge and sing another duet, vowing to ignore the end of time completely and enjoy each other's company.