[Altaïr admires that — that one could always be able to hope. He'd like to be an optimist, but he's seen too many reasons not to be. So have many who lived in a time of war, he supposes.

Then again, perhaps he's more capable of hope than it feels like. How can he continue to live by his creed and work to change the world unless there's hope it will make a difference?]

If that's the case, I suspect you've seen enough that anything I could share about my story would be dull by comparison.

[He's not sure whether to believe this man can have really done what he claims — but then, what is their Summoning if not traveling across time and space?]

As for your age...you look like you're about thirty, so I'll guess one hundred and twelve.

[This is of course a joke. He can't possibly be that old.]