# Illy — The Big Time character guide

> Illy in The Big Time by Fritz Leiber.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Even Illy, Ilhilihis

**First appearance:** 0000-i-enter-three-hussars

## Snapshot

A tall cross between spider monkey and Persian cat, Illy is the outfit's gentle Lunan Entertainer, prized for a sympathy that outlasts any grudge or joke.

## Who they are

Illy belongs to the Entertainers, the troupe whose job is to be nurse, psychologist, actress, and reliable friend whenever the call comes, no matter who needs help. Fresh from a mean operation and still lopped and shaky, he draws the narrator's care precisely because he is simpatico, a long way from home among anthropoids. His quiet presence tests whether the outfit's famous rule — forget grudges, don't ask who — can actually hold.

## Relationships

### [Unknown Narrator](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_big_time_se/characters/unknown_narrator)

_friendship_

Illy is a gentle and empathetic friend to the narrator, often acting as a confidant and source of comfort.

### [Unknown Narrator](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_big_time_se/characters/unknown_narrator)

_friendship_

Illy is a gentle and empathetic friend to the narrator, often acting as a confidant and source of comfort.

### [Unknown Narrator](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_big_time_se/characters/unknown_narrator)

_friendship_

Illy is a gentle and empathetic friend to the narrator, often acting as a confidant and source of comfort.

## In the story

### [IV: SOS from Nowhere](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_big_time_se/chapters/iv-sos-from-nowhere)

Ilhilihis, a Lunan, arrives with a lopped tentacle and is tended to by the narrator.

### [V: Sid Insists on Ghostgirls](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_big_time_se/chapters/v-sid-insists-on-ghostgirls)

Illy arrives shaken from an operation; the narrator shifts to care for him, noting his vulnerability and alien perspective.

### [VI: Crete Circa 1300 BC](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_big_time_se/chapters/vi-crete-circa-1300-bc)

Nods and gestures to confirm Benson-Carter's instructions, but indicates he doesn't know much about them.

### [VIII: A Place to Stand](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_big_time_se/chapters/viii-a-place-to-stand)

Teases Greta for grabbing his tentacles during the commotion, squeaking reproachfully.

### [IX: A Locked Room](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_big_time_se/chapters/ix-a-locked-room)

Undergoes fluoroscopy, writhing from the tickling sensation, and receives comfort from Greta.

### [XVI: The Possibility-Binders](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_big_time_se/chapters/xvi-the-possibility-binders)

Lurks on a nearby couch, snatches a glove, and later delivers a profound exposition on evolution and the Change War via feather-talk, calling himself 'Daddy Longlegs'.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_big_time_se/characters/illy
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_big_time_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_big_time_se/characters