Short Fiction · Character

Nicholas Martin

A schemer wearing Disraeli's borrowed charisma, Martin decides the only way to bluff a medievalist bully is to have Ivan the Terrible impressed on his own brain.

major

Also known as Martin, Nick, the infuriated Martin, II Nicholas Martin, the old Nicholas Martin, Nick Martin

First appearance: the secret of kralitz

As a major figure in Short Fiction, Nicholas Martin is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

A cowardly playwright and screenwriter under contract to Raoul St.

In the storyIOpen this moment free

Martin is a negotiator who has been coasting on an impressed character-matrix and now wants an upgrade—something less civilized, more terrifying. He talks a semantically adjusted robot into the swap by weaponizing Disraeli's golden tongue, then waits for the Ivan-effect to hit. His gamble on character over size is the hinge of the story's central confrontation with St. Cyr.

See Nicholas Martin in I Book page

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Character Web

22 connections

A slice of how Nicholas Martin sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Romantic
Friendship
Rivalry
Psychological
Professional

Character groups

Historical and Mythical Figures
Expanded Cast of Named Characters

+17 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because Stuart reaches an emotional and psychological peak where his inexp…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

Erika Ashby
romantic · ambivalent
Erika and Nicholas share a deeply passionate and tumultuous romantic relationship, marked… How this plays out →
Tolliver Watt
friendship · positive
Raoul St. Cyr
rivalry · negative
DeeDee Fleming
psychological · negative
ENIAC
professional · ambivalent
Erika Ashby
romantic · ambivalent
Erika and Nicholas share a deeply passionate and tumultuous romantic relationship, marked… How this plays out →
Tolliver Watt
friendship · positive
Tolliver Watt
friendship · positive
Raoul St. Cyr
rivalry · negative
Erika Ashby
romantic · ambivalent
Erika and Nicholas share a deeply passionate and tumultuous romantic relationship, marked… How this plays out →
Raoul St. Cyr
rivalry · negative
DeeDee Fleming
psychological · negative

Erika Ashby
Erika and Nicholas share a deeply passionate and tumultuous romantic relationship, marked by intense emotional highs and lows.
Tolliver Watt
Nicholas and Tolliver are close allies and companions, often working together on shared goals.
Raoul St. Cyr
Nicholas and Raoul are bitter enemies, constantly competing and clashing over power and ideology.
DeeDee Fleming
DeeDee Fleming is obsessively fixated on Nicholas Martin, manipulating situations to control him.
ENIAC
ENIAC, a sentient computer, serves as Nicholas Martin's powerful but unpredictable technological partner.
Erika Ashby
Erika and Nicholas share a deeply passionate and tumultuous romantic relationship, marked by intense emotional highs and lows.
Tolliver Watt
Nicholas and Tolliver are close allies and companions, often working together on shared goals.
Tolliver Watt
Nicholas and Tolliver are close allies and companions, often working together on shared goals.
Raoul St. Cyr
Nicholas and Raoul are bitter enemies, constantly competing and clashing over power and ideology.
Erika Ashby
Erika and Nicholas share a deeply passionate and tumultuous romantic relationship, marked by intense emotional highs and lows.
Raoul St. Cyr
Nicholas and Raoul are bitter enemies, constantly competing and clashing over power and ideology.
DeeDee Fleming
DeeDee Fleming is obsessively fixated on Nicholas Martin, manipulating situations to control him.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Nicholas Martin in the secret of kralitz

In the story

Nicholas Martin appears across 3 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

I
A cowardly playwright and screenwriter under contract to Raoul St. Cyr, struggling with his career and personal fears.
Chapter II
Undergoes a psychological transformation after treatment, adopting the persona of Disraeli and challenging St. Cyr's authority.
III
Under the Ivan the Terrible matrix, Martin is cowardly and paranoid, proposing to Erika but fearing to kiss her, fleeing from St. Cyr, and hiding in a broom-closet.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Nicholas Martin unlock in the free preview.

See Nicholas Martin in the secret of kralitz

See Nicholas Martin in I