Afsan continues his journey back to Capital city, accompanying a convoy from Pack Carno, and with them kills a "Fangjaw" (a large, quadrupedal, saber-toothed theropod) from Runningbeast-back along the way. Eventually, he arrives back in Capital city, only to learn that Tak-Saleed had fallen ill while he was away. Afsan goes to visit his mentor at his sickbed, and tells him what he learned. Saleed confesses that he has known what Afsan knew all along, but kept it secret- he didn't want to risk losing his position, and was just too old to carry on the fight that would inevitably rise from this challenge to the Quintaglio's religion. Saleed knew that it would require an intelligent, youthful Quintaglio to fight this new fight. With his final breath, Saleed tells Afsan that the Quintaglios need to get off their world, and dies.