Sir Tristram

This is the first character to appear in the story. He is described as a man of love. He is also described as a warrior. He sports a coat of arms and lives at a castle clearing, indicating that he is of high rank. He is introduced on the very first page of the novel.

What is peculiar is that by page 5 no one is hearing about him or from him anymore. Novel readers are cast adrift. Once introduced it would be natural to assume this was a main character, but as it turns out, he does not turn out to be.

Finnegan

Finnegan is introduced within the first two pages. He is described in what amounts to a garbled international language. He is called some kind of meister, after the German term Burgermeister. He is referred to as being of "the Stuttering Hand" which is itself...