Finally he begins to understand the difficult road he has laid down for himself. It's not simply enough to keep Dawn alive and pass on his knowledge; he must be an example for her as well. Not just because she will take her moral cues from him, but because in time her peer group will supplant him. This is not just unpreventable, it is necessary for her to become a fully functional adult. Has he not seen it thousands of time before, in his journeys across the galaxy? Different species differ from each other, but just as there are only so many ways for an atmospheric flier to evolve, so too are there only so many ways for a social sapient to develop.

If he wants to remain in Dawn's life, he will have to be the kind of person she will want to have there.

He sighs deeply in surrender. "It will be difficult," he says quietly; it is not an excuse, but a simple statement of fact. "What will you do when I make mistakes? Or if I feel it is necessary to sacrifice my developing integrity for her safety?"