Alcide

Alcide is the youngest son of Bocage, the caretaker of Michel's estate at La Morinière. When Michel learns that Bocage has been poaching on the estate, he decides to join the young man in secretly poaching on his own land.

Ali

Ali is a little Arab boy whom Michel befriends during his second visit to Biskra. Ali introduces Michel to his sister, who is a prostitute. After Marceline dies, Michel sleeps with Ali's sister several times, but soon notices that Ali seems to get jealous of his sister. Michel thus decides to stop sleeping with the girl in order to maintain his relations with Ali. When Ali's sister teases Michel that he is more interested in Ali than in her, Michel reflects, "Perhaps she is not altogether wrong . . ."

Ali's Sister

Ali's sister is an Arab girl who works as a prostitute. On his second visit to...