# Texas Manuel — Short Fiction character guide

> Texas Manuel in Short Fiction by R. A. Lafferty.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Manuel

**First appearance:** 0013-sodom-and-gomorrah-texas

## Snapshot

A man who vanished thirty-five years ago and returns shrunk three feet and two hundred pounds, insisting he is Manuel and carrying a stolen census list.

## Who they are

Texas Manuel is a rough Texan who disappeared into the little people's town of Nuevo Danae, where an encanto bound him and a companion to a treadmill for thirty-five years. He returns as a dwarf with a cracked voice, a stolen list of a million little people, and a shaky grip on his own identity—wondering aloud whether he is really Manuel at all. His bewildered testimony forces Marshal and the police to confront a census that will not add up.

## Relationships

### [Vincent](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_45_se/characters/vincent)

_friendship_

Texas Manuel is Vincent's loyal and pragmatic friend, often acting as a grounding influence and ally in difficult situations.

### [Mula](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_45_se/characters/mula)

_friendship_

Mula is a close confidant and business associate of Texas Manuel, sharing a bond of mutual survival and streetwise camaraderie.

### [Mr. Marshal](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_45_se/characters/mr_marshal)

_rivalry_

Mr. Marshal is a law enforcement officer who views Texas Manuel as a primary target, leading to a cat-and-mouse adversarial dynamic.

### [Father Briton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_45_se/characters/father_briton)

_social_

Father Briton is a priest who occasionally counsels Texas Manuel, their relationship a mix of spiritual guidance and wary respect for each other's worlds.

### [Vincent](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_45_se/characters/vincent)

_friendship_

Texas Manuel is Vincent's loyal and pragmatic friend, often acting as a grounding influence and ally in difficult situations.

### [Vincent](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_45_se/characters/vincent)

_friendship_

Texas Manuel is Vincent's loyal and pragmatic friend, often acting as a grounding influence and ally in difficult situations.

### [Father Briton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_45_se/characters/father_briton)

_social_

Father Briton is a priest who occasionally counsels Texas Manuel, their relationship a mix of spiritual guidance and wary respect for each other's worlds.

### [Mr. Marshal](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_45_se/characters/mr_marshal)

_rivalry_

Mr. Marshal is a law enforcement officer who views Texas Manuel as a primary target, leading to a cat-and-mouse adversarial dynamic.

## In the story

### [Sodom and Gomorrah, Texas](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_45_se/chapters/sodom-and-gomorrah-texas)

A poor, illiterate census taker who takes his instructions literally, counting both regular people and the 'little people,' leading to his capture and the eventual destruction of High Plains.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_45_se/characters/texas_manuel
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_45_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_45_se/characters