Karnides is the Protocol Director, which is the right job for him in the way that the right job can be either a calling or a cage. The elaborate rituals of intercorporate etiquette are the only things, he would tell you, "barely" holding back the tide of his true nature.
Theodore Castelline privately, firmly believes Karnides is a lycanthrope. This is filed under suspicion only, without supporting documentation. It is not, as far as the record shows, incorrect.
He trims bonsai with the focused attention of a man who needs to focus his attention on something small and alive and in need of tending. The tea ceremonies are similarly precise. Precision is the point. Precision is what holds the rest at bay.
Billy Liar's arrival unlocks certain dangerous truths within Karnides, forcing him to begin the long work of balancing his two sides. The mechanism turns out to be fatherhood. It is, by all accounts, the making of him.
| Personnel | Relationship Dynamics |
|---|---|
| Bryce Dexter | The unlikely friendship formed through raising the Infanta. Surprisingly complex, surprisingly intimate. Good for both of them. |
| Billy Liar | Billy's arrival unlocks dangerous truths in Karnides. This is either a gift or a warning. Possibly both. |