death and daniel enter and discuss belshazzar and his sins of vanity and idolatry. death offers to kill belshazzar for daniel, as an agent of an angry god. daniel gives death permission to visit belshazzar and scare him, but not kill him. daniel wants to save his soul. death is upset about only being allowed to show himself to and warn belshazzar and not take his soul. he calls for thought. thought joins death and is scared of him. death asks thought where belshazzar is. thought tells death that belshazzar is with his two wives in the garden. death asks thought to take him there. thought does because he doesn't have the courage to say no.