Bodhi awakens to find Zarathustra has departed. He looks around and witnesses hundreds of sheep streaming into the Palace of Peace. He walks down to near its entrance.
Meanwhile, Thou Shalt wakes up and makes his way to the palace to meet with the lords, thinking to himself:
who is this tibetan yak
the lords i must alert
soldiers must stand on guard
before his truth asserts
Thou Shalt arrives at the Palace and enters a gold-plated conference room. He sits at the head of a rectangular table and addresses the sheep seated around him dressed in ornate silk:
great and powerful lords
to this emergency meeting
thank you for coming
to hear my urgent speaking
a simple yak has arrived
and yet he set the lamb free
zion’s gates we must protect
his presence defies prophecy
The sheep lords become agitated and whisper to each other. Thou Shalt dismisses the lords and flies to the front of the large and gilded Palace, arriving at the same time as Bodhi. Bodhi says cautiously:
i did as you command
and climbed to this height
do you intend to harm me
on this strange hill of light
Thou Shalt responds, cunningly:
my dear boy
so glad you came
our miracle on the hill
of divine acclaim
and sorry before
about losing my cool
your stirred something in me
that i do not yet rule
Bodhi gazes in awe at the towering Palace and answers:
where is here
this gilded place
who are these sheep
why inside do they race
Thou Shalt smiles proudly and responds:
welcome to nicaea
gathering of the lords
keepers of belief
who bind it into words
As Thou Shalt finishes speaking, a large, muscular ram wearing a military uniform affixed with a cross approaches quickly. Thou Shalt bows and addresses him:
perfect timing emperor
today we seal our fate
let’s quickly go inside
before it is too late
The ram looks at Bodhi and introduces himself:
hello young yak
my name is holy trinity
father, son, and holy ghost
i forged their divinity
you see, i once was pagan
persecuted the lamb’s love
then saw a cross of light
“conquer by this” above
jesus appeared in a dream
told me to adorn my shield
with crosses to protect
then slaughter on the field
Holy Trinity motions to Bodhi and Thou Shalt to enter the Palace. Once inside, they find a seat in the last row. Two sheep arrive at opposite pulpits. Holy Trinity whispers:
let us be quiet
the debate will begin
though there is no doubt
how this ends and who will win
One of the sheep, with a name tent card in front of him reading “Not Eternal” addresses the gathered crowd:
greetings distinguished lords
honored to be with everyone
i represent the view that god
is not equal with his son
his transformation
gift to all flawed
hope exists for animals
to become divine with god
The crowd gasps. The sheep at the opposing pulpit responds loudly:
blasphemy i cry
to you esteemed sheep
delusion now speaking
hear him and weep
god manifested the world
with logos as christ’s spine
bridging faith and reason
jesus is eternally divine
As the debate continues, Holy Trinity whispers to Bodhi:
these two lords
and their respective flock
been debating for a while
a very important talk
if christ became divine
then other animals could too
all creatures could reach heaven
beyond our power to subdue
all must pay respect
to me and my rule
in return they receive
heaven as their jewel
Holy Trinity stands to address the crowd:
this charade has
gone on long enough
it’s time to decide
time to call one’s bluff
raise your hand if you vote
jesus shares divinity
along with the holy spirit
part of the blessed trinity
we hold the truth
which to heretics we sell
for power, money, and flesh
we threaten them with hell
The hall echoes: “Amen!” Holy Trinity continues:
or choose not eternal
and the lie he has wrought
that god made jesus divine
when in truth he is not
if you raise your hand
fallible you shall be
forever damned
and never free
Bodhi sees only one hand raised, that of Not Eternal. Holy Trinity continues addressing the congregation:
with power vested in me
by god and greed
i hereby declare
the nicene creed
these conclusions
henceforth divinely defined
never again to be challenged
by heart, time, or mind
Sheep guards promptly take Not Eternal out of the back of the palace. Holy Trinity signals for his guests to follow him out the front. Once outside, Holy Trinity addresses Bodhi and Thou Shalt:
holy day is complete
tomorrow we start anew
to compile official canon
of the testament new
Holy Trinity lowers his voice and continues:
furthermore
we have pruning to do
must select carefully
what of jesus we keep true
gnostic gospels
found in hope’s hills
teach truth lies within us
the implication chills
if true, no need for us
to tell them how to live
what morals are acceptable
how much money to give
Thou Shalt bows to Holy Trinity, turns to Bodhi, and says:
your understanding awaits
next we visit the wise sheep
waiting in our cathedral
but the entrance fee is steep