Ani looked away, bars of negation flickering rebelliously across her skin. Ilto touched her arm, wanting to say more.

“Ani, please see what I have to say,” he told her, when she looked up. “The new creature is valuable, important. It’s different from any other animal I’ve ever seen or heard of. Who knows what important things we might learn from it? There is no one else who can do it. The elders have chosen their atwas and are busy with them. The other bami are not ready.”

“Neither am I!” Ani blurted. “I’m not ready to be an elder, siti! I don’t know enough!”

Ninto touched Ani’s wrist. “Of course you do, Ani. You know more than I did when I first became an elder. You link as well as any elder in the village. You’re ready.”

“Ninto’s right,” Ilto added with a gruff red tinge. “You’ve been ready for a long time, but I’ve been selfish. I wanted to do something special before I died. Healing the new creature was it. I’ve lived long enough to know the creature will survive. Let me go, bai. I’ve taught you everything I can. I can’t wait until someone else is ready to carry your burden.”

Ani flushed deep brown with shame and looked away. “I am sorry if I have added to your burdens, siti.”

“Of course not, bai. I have had much joy from you and Ninto both, more than my share should have been.” He turned azure with pride. “I am pleased with you.”

“You won’t be alone, Ani. I’ll help you as much as I can,” Ninto told her.

Ani thought it over. She could either accept graciously and ease her sitik’s pathway to death, or make his passing difficult and more painful with her intransigence. After he died, she would take the creature back to its people. Then she could go back to being a simple, settled village Tendu with an atwa like everyone else’s.