gepopo, chief of espionage, sung by the same soprano who performed venus, shows up with an army of spies and hangmen. her high, wailing aria consists of "code language": tumbling, repetitive, hacked up words and phrases. go-go comprehends the message: the people are planning an insurrection because they fear a great macabre. the politicians go out on the balcony to try to calm the people with speeches, one after the other, but go-go laughs at them as they are pelted by shoes, tomatoes, and other objects. he appears on the balcony and the people are enthusiastic, shouting "our great leader! our great leader! go go go go!" for over a minute. their slow chant is gradually accelerated and rhythmically and intervallically transformed, drowning out the prince's remarks (only his gestures are visible). however, gepopo receives a dispatch (a comic process in which every spy inspects and authenticates it by pantomime) and warns go-go with more code language that a comet is drawing closer and a true macabre is approaching. the politicians try to play it off as alarmism, but promptly flee the stage when a solitary figure approaches from the direction of the city gate. go-go proclaims that he is "master in [his] own house" and calls on "legendary might, hallmark of go-gos" for the tough times ahead. gepopo warns the prince to call a guard (in her usual "code" style), but it is only astradamors, who rushes to greet the prince. the two dance and sing "huzzah! for all is now in order!" (a false ending), ignoring the people's frantic pleas. a siren wails and a bass trumpet announces danger. go-go is ordered to go "under the bed, quick!" nekrotzar wordlessly rides in on the back of piet as "all hell follows behind." the processional takes the form of a passacaglia, with a repeating pattern in timpani and low strings (who play a parodic imitation of movement 4 from beethoven's 'eroica' symphony), a scordatura violin (playing a twisted imitation of scott joplin's 'the entertainer'), bassoon, sopranino clarinet and piccolo marching with the procession, and slowly building material in the orchestra.