Character guide

Patricia Lane

major

Also known as Pat, Pat Lane, Little Pat, Pat the Impeccable, Miss Pat

Pat moves between her mother's house and Dr. Horker's study, trading barbs with the old psychiatrist while her thoughts circle one man. She loves Nicholas Devine with a fierceness that frightens her, and she alone has seen the other self that speaks through him — cruel, crafty, and unafraid. Her stubborn refusal to abandon Nick, even when reason says flee, makes her the story's beating heart.

Nicholas Devine

major

Also known as Nick, Devine

Nick reads Tristram Shandy, quotes it badly, and prefers long night drives to dances, which is why Dr. Horker calls him introverted and repressed. He adores Pat with a tenderness that seems almost too gentle for a man, yet he admits he has been blamed since childhood for mischief he never committed. The strain of holding his other self in check is visibly wearing him thin.

Dr. Carl Horker

major

Also known as Dr. Horker, Horker, Orpheus, Dr. Orpheus Horker, Doctor Horker

Dr. Horker fills his house with guests and his talk with professional skepticism, calling Nick a nice kid and a psychopathic case in nearly the same breath. He probes Pat's story with clinical questions, half-convinced the whole affair is a mind playing tricks, yet he offers to stand with her to the finish. His struggle between diagnosis and loyalty shapes how the mystery is investigated.

The Doctor

supporting

Also known as Doctor, Doc

He listens to Pat's story of two personalities with the calm of a man cataloguing defense mechanisms, and he asks whether Nick might simply be lying to escape blame. Pat snaps at him for treating her and Nick as cases, then softens when he insists he would give his eyes to help. His clinical distance and genuine concern pull against each other throughout the investigation.

The Other

major

Also known as the other

Where Nick is gentle, the other is gross, crafty, and unashamed, mocking Pat with talk of synapses and devils while threatening to make Nick suffer for any resistance. He knows her love is his authority: to protect Nick, she obeys. His growing mastery over the shared body is the quiet catastrophe the early chapters keep circling.

Honey

minor

A minor character, possibly a pet or a term of endearment for someone.

Mueller

minor

Also known as the impassive Mueller

A stoic servant or assistant in the household.

Magda

minor

Also known as Old Magda

An older woman, possibly a housekeeper or local figure.

Mrs. Lane

minor

Patricia's mother, concerned about her daughter's well-being.

Dear Nick

minor

Also known as Dear

An affectionate address to Nicholas, possibly from a letter.

The Priest

minor

A clergyman who offers spiritual counsel or exorcism.

Poe

minor

A reference to Edgar Allan Poe, possibly as a literary allusion.

Mother

minor

A maternal figure, possibly Patricia's mother or a nun.

Fields

minor

A minor character, possibly a servant or local.

Heaven

minor

A personification or exclamation, not a character.

Billy

minor

Also known as Bill

A minor character, possibly a friend or relative.