Alan nods.

"There's oppression here, but there's life, too. No one here's fighting alone."

He gestures, broadly to the Thaig beyond. Dim and cramped and desperate, and every inch doing something about it.

"No one's ever alone." It's not much to offer, but it's what he has to give. "When I have lost all else, then in the pounding of my heart I hear the glory of creation."

A small, sad smile. He's paraphrasing.

"We don't need a solution. We just need people who want to solve a problem."