The hug that Ian gave to Pieter was true and intimate. It had been years since they saw each other for the first and last time.
“You look good, Pieter. The isolated life has done you well.”
“And you look tired, Ian. Are you actually even sleeping these days?”
Ian smiled. “Currently I have no patience for that. But... welcome to the Abacus project. As you can see, it is progressing nicely.”
“I never doubted that. Even five years ago I knew you were going to push through. Although at that time it wasn't exactly clear to me what the scope would be of your so-called development aid. And quite frankly, I still have issues understanding it all. But I am sure that you will be happy to enlighten me.”