In this chapter, we learn that we're in the middle of a battle between the Pandas and the Sphinx. The Pandas are trying to figure out a way to defeat the Sphinx, but they're interrupted by Tostis, who's got a plan. He's going to kill the Sphinx if he can, but he's also going to use his father's life to save the Panda. So, basically, if the Sphinx wants to save his son, he has to exchange his own life for the Panda's. This means that if the Panda wants to die, his father has to die for the sake of saving his son. So basically, the Panda has two options: he can either die now, or he can die later, at which point he'll be able to get back to his father.