Hearing that the answers he's spent his life searching for won't be handed over on a plate is simultaneously disappointing and heartening. It's not that simple, not that easy. He hasn't missed some obvious clue that would have unlocked everything for him, and that is a profound relief, even if he wishes he had the last piece of the puzzle that is his work sitting right in front of him.

He leans forward and nods eagerly. "I would like that very much. I know there are things I'm missing, things I'm not realising. Even if I had a fresh perspective, new ideas… It would mean a lot."