Neanderthal Messiah — 200

The Cast

[Vu Nahng:] ‘De-extinction is reincarnation!’

[Iesu:] ‘They’ll have to halve children.’

[Divine Agent Enoch/Tathagata, clenched-fist Neanderthal:] ‘I could return.’

[LAO-DZUH, counsel to Iesu:] ‘Patience, beyond death.’

[Professor James:] ‘Milton’s On Shakespeare states kings wish to die…’

[Professor Werner to Viet Mother:] ‘Double agents?… Why involve a child?’

[Mother:] ‘For cover.’

[Critias at sunset:] ‘Hold!’

[Sokrates:] [Drinks the hemlock.]

[4 year old Aristotle:] ‘Hold?’

[Hippocrates:] ‘We could intubate.’

[Wailing Student Protest Chorus:] ‘Who!’

[Child of 21:] ‘In vitro.’

[Lotus 1–2–3 Brother casts his vote:] ‘Science’

[Sybl collapses:] ‘Father, Dionysus, right this!’ [The Graces weep.]

[James, beloved brother & leader of the Q’Umran Essenes:] ‘Alive.’

[Lieserl bulging:] ‘For the Fatherland.’ [Regiment clicks heals, salutes.]

[Elektro:] ‘I’ve placed them all in Gilgul sim. Only the Neanderthal...’

[Tathagata opens his palm & places it on the shoulder of If:]

‘Pyramid.’

…

[Yahweh:] ‘I never expected you to hesitate to my proposal.’

[Maryam:] ‘What proposal?’

[They discuss.]

…

[Yahweh:] ‘I do.’