[ Some people say you can't tell what a person's like just by their handshake, and those people all probably have the grip, temperature, and texture of a cold fish. Mace tends to use it as a barometer as to the kind of person he's meeting, and that barometer's telling him right now that Ian's a stand-up guy. One who works with his hands, which he'd known already — engineering — but it's good to have the reminder all the same.

His own grip is firm and warm, as blunt as he himself is, as straightforward, and Mace makes a little face at hearing that shortlist. He's never understood Jim and the variations thereof; come to think of it, most nicknames don't add up to their originating names. ]

I see we're moving to nickname basis, now. What's that, second base?

[ He's got a weird sense of humour, sorry Ian. ]

Anyway, I can't shorten Ian to anything, so. If I have to take one of those, you're gonna get a made-up one from me.