# Dr. Sime — Brood of the Witch-Queen character guide

> Dr. Sime in Brood of the Witch-Queen by Sax Rohmer.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Sime, Sime the phlegmatic

**First appearance:** 0008-vii-sir-elwin-groves-patient

## Snapshot

A ruddy, athletic, somewhat bovine doctor who would rather trace basal ganglia than hear about fires in summer—until the Afreet talk begins.

## Who they are

Sime is the skeptical medical man, the one who laughs gruffly at native superstitions about khamsin and demons, who tells Cairn they will get out of their depth. Yet he watches his friend covertly and sees the nervous disaster written there, wonders how near Cairn came to insanity. He is the rational world looking on, and his slow unease measures how far the story has drifted from the ordinary.

## In the story

### [I: Antony Ferrara](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/brood_of_the_witch_queen_se/chapters/i-antony-ferrara)

Cairn's friend and confidant; listens to Cairn's account and offers commentary.

### [II: The Phantom Hands](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/brood_of_the_witch_queen_se/chapters/ii-the-phantom-hands)

Phoned Cairn about the unusual hospital case, which involved rare nervous symptoms.

### [XI: Cairo](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/brood_of_the_witch_queen_se/chapters/xi-cairo)

Meets Robert in Cairo; shares news of the khamsin and the Afreet superstition among the natives.

### [The Mask of Set](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/brood_of_the_witch_queen_se/chapters/xii-the-mask-of-set)

Accompanies Cairn at the carnival, pursues two of the yashmak ladies, and later dismisses Cairn's sighting of the masked figure.

### [XIII: The Scorpion Wind](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/brood_of_the_witch_queen_se/chapters/xiii-the-scorpion-wind)

Listens to Cairn's accusations, follows him during the storm, and later attends to him in hospital.

### [The Story of Ali Mohammed](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/brood_of_the_witch_queen_se/chapters/xvii-the-story-of-ali-mohammed)

Relays Ali Mohammed's account of the strange events at the pyramid and expresses growing unease.

### [XVIII: The Bats](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/brood_of_the_witch_queen_se/chapters/xviii-the-bats)

Accompanies the Cairns, shows bravery and practicality, removes boots for better foothold, and assists Dr. Cairn in climbing the shaft.

### [XIX: Anthropomancy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/brood_of_the_witch_queen_se/chapters/xix-anthropomancy)

Accompanies Dr. Cairn, fires at Ferrara in desperation, and emerges with his hair streaked white.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/brood_of_the_witch_queen_se/characters/sime
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/brood_of_the_witch_queen_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/brood_of_the_witch_queen_se/characters