Astronomical landmark on the Halcyon side of the anomaly between Halcyon and Garson's Planet.
Sam Anderson
Hobo that Max Jones met his first night after running away from home. He shared his stew with Max but also stole Max's astrogation books. After Max was rejected by the Astrogators' Guild, Sam helped him get forged records as a spacer and a job in the Asgard. Sam worked his way to Master-at-Arms in the Asgard, and died rescuing Eldreth Coburn and Max from the hostile natives of Charity. He may have been an Imperial Marine who had gone AWOL years ago.
Third planet of the sun around which Charity orbited. Passengers of the Asgard were given the choice of being left there rather than risk the return through an uncharted anomaly.
Passenger starship converted from the torchship Einstein (formerly the Prince of Wales). Using forged records, Max Jones and Sam Anderson were able to get jobs aboard her.
Union that controlled who could become an astrogator; new members could join only if they were related to and nominated by current members. They kept professional information such as star charts and astrogation calculations strictly secret.
Astrogators' Guild Hall
Located in Earthport next to the spaceport. Max Jones hoped their records would show that his uncle had nominated him for guild membership.
Disguise artist hired by Sam Anderson to make Max Jones look old enough for a spacer job.
"Sack" Bennett (no other first name)
Communicator first class in the Asgard. He doubled as Captain Blaine's secretary and factotum. He owed his nickname to others' belief that he spent most of his time sleeping.
Passenger lounge in the Asgard; equipped with a viewport, and off-limits to crew members but not to officers.
Blaine (no first name)
Captain of the Asgard. He suffered a mild breakdown from exhaustion after the death of the astrogator, Dr. Hendrix, and sent the ship through an uncharted anomaly because he failed to correct a mathematical error. He deteriorated seriously after the ship was lost, ultimately committing suicide.
[mentioned in passing] From the context, a mathematical or memory prodigy. (In "Lost Legacy", a pianist Blind Tom is mentioned who could play by ear any piece of music he had heard only once.)
Native of Charity; it resembled the mythological Earth creatures, but was marsupial. Centaurs dominated several other species on the planet. They attacked the Asgard refugees, capturing Max Jones and Eldreth Coburn and killing several others.
Central Jersey Development Center for State Children
Planet on which the Asgard grounded after going through an uncharted anomaly, the fourth of its sun's planets. The name was bestowed by Eldreth Coburn.
[mentioned in passing] Ringroad company whose trains ran past Max Jones' farm. The trains were apparently named after throwing weapons and other sharp objects, for example Assegai, Cleaver, Javelin.
Chucklehead
Saurian native lifeform of Gamma Leonis VI(b), for a while used as draft animals by the colonists; they were found less suitable than horses.
Teenaged passenger aboard the Asgard, owner of the spiderpuppyMr. Chips. The daughter of Ambassador John Coburn, she was being sent home after being expelled from several finishing schools on Earth. She and Max Jones became friends. On Charity she was captured with him by centaurs. They were rescued by Sam Anderson after Mr. Chips made it back to the ship and managed to convey their "message". It appeared that she was romantically interested in Max, but after the Asgard returned to known space she continued her trip home and eventually married her childhood sweetheart.
Passenger in the Asgard. She first gave the impression of being a flighty socialite, but she proved herself a hard and willing worker when they tried to establish a colony on Charity.
Department of Guilds and Labor
Bureaucracy that oversaw membership in all guilds and unions, and therefore the allotment of most skilled jobs. It kept records of all job assignments.
Desert Palms Athletic Club
[mentioned in passing] Destination to which an extraterrestrial that Max Jones saw in Earthport asked directions; it pronounced it "Tesert Palms."
Dolores (no last name)
Hanger-on (probably a prostitute) at the Safe Landing. Sam Anderson chased her away from Max Jones, then pointed her out to distract Simes when he started to harass Max.
Starship to which Max Jones was assigned as assistant astrogator after completing the Asgard journey. [Latin, "Elizabeth the Queen", probably a reference to Elizabeth I of England.]
emperor
References to Imperial Marines and the Imperial Encyclopedia suggest that Earth is part of an empire.
[mentioned in passing] An agricultural colony planet, also known as New Mars, whose saurian native animals could be used as draft animals but were inferior (at least in their rapport with humans) to horses.
Colony planet, official designation Nu Pegasi VI; a stop of Asgard's itinerary.It is described as having cold winters and being not yet economically independent.
Astrogator aboard the Asgard. He recommended Max Jones for astrogator training, and treated him as a protegé. He died of a heart attack during the layover on Halcyon. When the ship was stranded on Charity, the settlement's main avenue was named after him.
[mentioned in passing] Astrogator in the Thule. Kelly asked Max Jones briefly about him because Max had claimed to have tried for chartsman aboard that ship.
Max Jones' late uncle. A member of the Astrogators' Guild, he gave Max his astrogation books and promised to register him as his heir with the Guild but was unable to do so before his untimely death.
Maximilian (Max) Jones
Ozark farmboy who ran away from home after his stepmother remarried and sold the farm. After learning that his uncle had not fulfilled his promise to get him into the Astrogators' Guild, he used forged papers to get menial work aboard the starship Asgard. He rapidly went from tending animals to training as a chartsman After the ship was lost through an uncharted anomaly and all others with astrogation skills died, he successfully piloted the ship back to known space, and was accepted as an apprentice astrogator by the Guild.
Passenger in the Asgard who claimed the title "Principessa".
Biff (Monty) Montgomery
Shiftless neighbor of Max Jones who married Max's stepmother and persuaded her to sell the farm even though it was technically owned by Max. He threatened Max with a beating for disagreeing with the decision.
Nellie Jones Montgomery
Max Jones' stepmother. She sold his farm without his knowledge after she remarried, even though legally, Max owned the farm.
Man with whom Eldreth Coburn was becoming romantically involved before her father shipped her off to Earth. After the adventure in the Asgard, she returned home and married him.
Red (no other name)
Teamster who offered Max Jones a ride into Earthport in return for Max impersonating his driving partner.
Transportation system similar to railroads. The "tracks" generated high-power magnetic fields to power and direct the trains. The name comes from the rings that generated the magnetic field, through which the trains traveled.
Roberts (no first name)
Sam Anderson told Max Jones the story of an acquaintance who was an Imperial Marine sergeant until he got drunk, missed his ship, and never had the nerve to turn himself in; his name may also have been Richards. Sam later denied having told the story; he may have been referring to himself.
Technical manual of the Guild of Space Stewards, Cooks, and Purser's Clerks. Sam Anderson acquired a copy for Max Jones to memorize to aid his impersonation of a Guild member.
Simes (no first name)
Assistant astrogator in the Asgard, jealous of his position and resentful of Max Jones' elevation to astrogation trainee. After Captain Blaine's death he tried to take command of the ship and had his neck broken by Sam Anderson.
Sirian
Humanoid alien of unspecified origin; a member of the species worked as a waiter in the Safe Landing.
Native of Hespera. It had orange, green, and white fur; eight legs; and an endearing manner. It could be domesticated by humans, and could speak and understand a rudimentary vocabulary.
