Our Book
CAST OF
SAINT BARTHOLOMEW’S HOSPITAL, LONDON
Susan Bailey Dawson — Age 113
A retired journalist and lifelong abolitionist. Frail in body yet fierce in memory, she carries the weight of a century’s worth of truth.
Elizabeth Smith — Age 20
A young nurse assigned to Susan’s care. Compassionate, observant and drawn into the older woman’s extraordinary past.
EXPEDITION TEAM TO THE CONGO
Captain Bison Van Lanterman
Former Belgian Army officer and commander of the expedition. Feared, disciplined and infamous for his brutality.
Susan Bailey Dawson — Age 30
The younger Susan, serving as the expedition’s journalist. Sharp‑minded, principled and unafraid to confront injustice.
Sergeant Gérome Lekens
Second‑in‑command. A rigid Belgian officer who enforces order with cold precision.
Monsieur Le Renard Dechamps
Ex‑sergeant of the Belgian Army. Cunning, fox‑like and skilled at reading danger before it arrives.
Baron Von Schweintzler
A German businessman whose interests in the Congo are as shadowed as his motives.
Herr Jürgen Heinrich
Archaeologist and anthropologist. A meticulous observer whose field notes become vital to understanding the land and its people.
Dr. Pascal Lapierre
The expedition’s medical doctor. Rational, weary and increasingly troubled by the violence around him.
Diarabi Ali Farka Ibrahim
Former pirate quartermaster. Skilled, enigmatic and bound to the expedition by debts, loyalties and ghosts.
Père Raymond
Catholic priest accompanying the mission. A man of faith navigating a land where spirits and colonial power collide.
Master Loinseach
Vessel master, lookout and keen observer of river and sky.
O’Gowan
Quartermaster of the vessel. Practical, steady and indispensable to daily operations.
Private Bosco
Belgian soldier. Young, obedient and shaped by the harsh discipline of colonial service.
Mercenaries
A mixed group of hired soldiers, cooks and engineers – men drawn by coin, desperation or the promise of reinvention.
RIVERBANK COMMUNITY
MAIN FIGURES
Nsala
Strong‑willed and perceptive. Senses danger before others and takes command when crisis strikes.
Layila
Nsala’s devoted daughter. Reluctant to leave her mother’s side as danger approaches.
Yambi
Nsala’s close companion. Shares her suspicions and later assists Mpende during childbirth.
Mpende
A pregnant woman caught in labour as the threat draws near. Her struggle becomes a focal point of fear and urgency.
Boali
Helps shepherd the children back to the village. Assists Mpende briefly before being sent away for safety.
Inga — Age 12
Athletic, quick‑thinking, and protective of Kimoko. Acts as a mentor and older‑brother figure.
Kimoko — Age 10
Less agile but deeply trusting of Inga. Witnesses the first acts of Belgian violence, a moment that may shape the elders’ response.
SECONDARY FIGURES
Father Ombe
Village elder and authority figure. The children are instructed to fetch him when danger arises.
Unnamed Mayombe Hunter
A young man fleeing through forest and river to warn the women. Dies before reaching safety, intensifying the alarm.
Women at the Riverbank
Nsala, Yambi, Mpende, Boali, and others washing and working when the first signs of danger appear.
Village Elders
Chief, family heads and the witch doctor – convening only in moments of spiritual or physical crisis.
SHIP AT SEA
Captain Kunda
Pirate leader of the unidentified vessel. Brutal, calculating and feared by all aboard.
Diarabi
Kisúndi tribesman; first mate, gunner, torturer, and Kunda’s loyal shadow.
Ansel
Sailing master. Literate, disciplined and responsible for navigation and quartermaster duties.
Calixte
Overseer and enforcer of discipline aboard the ship.
James Williams
American traveller and prisoner. A negotiator by instinct, trying to survive through words.
Wilson Taylor
American traveller and prisoner. Opportunistic, always searching for an angle.
Young Ben
Watchman of La Caprice and tortured captive of Kunda’s crew.
Affonso
Kunda’s son, executed earlier in the chapter – a death that casts a long shadow over the ship.
Crew
A mix of nationalities. Fiercely loyal to Kunda, though doubt and fear simmer beneath the surface. Many remain chained in the hold.