Cast

Please note that the people mentioned in the For those who need an image: lists may not actually derive from the heritage of the characters they illustrate; if not, they shouldn't play the role. These cases betray deficiencies in my own recognition patterns, but I hope they give you some idea of what I had in mind. The hyperlinks behind each character's name will take you to the appropriate index to that character's participation in the novel.

Point-of-View Characters

     13'Sao-La — player in the Tlaxtli League, the combat arm of Le Coeur de la Patrie. For those who need an image: a young Chris Rock
     Ganj-Dareh Collective — adult residents of Ganj-Dareh Direvnya as seen through the reports starting most of the chapters
     Doyle Phoebe Heejanus — tactician for the combine with the anshin contract for Ganj Dareh Direvnya, that is, the chief of police, fire, and health services. For those who need an image: Genna Davis
     Foxfire — Nurse-in-Training in a society that has replaced doctors with automata, elevating Nurses to the peak of the medical profession as they care for the people receiving treatment; a member of the sodality that calls itself "The Tangent." For those who need an image: Vietnamese actress such as Cheng Sammi (see www.vietnampeople.net/hongkong/ChengSa mmi.html) or Ho Lillian (see www.vietnampeople.net/hongkong/HoLillian.html).
     Har Norma Byukan — most powerful Partner on the Team that controls the Byukan-Hamil Consortium, an organization containing all the combines doing business on the Continent Popovich. For those who need an image: the character of Linda Hunt, the body of a short, tanned Playmate of the Month from the late '60s that has stuck with me all these years
     Jik Dain Bedlip — a senior Partner for the Byukan-Hamil Consortium; as a secret identity, Governor for the Tlaxtli League and behind that, one of the triumvirate for Le Coeur de la Patrie. For those who need an image: a bald Robert Conrad, Ed Harris, Kevin Spacey, Kyle McLachlan
     Pla Cliff Derkinit — leader of the Byukan-Hamil staff team responsible for development of training. For those who need an image: a tall Charles Durning, Brian Dennehy, Rich Williams, or me?
     Qidan of Gagarin — tactician for the combine with the Yojin-Suru contract for Yeibichai, that is, the planet's "catcher in the rye." For those who need an image: Tommy Lee Jones
     Sara Terblast Nunaat — wife of Aalit, mother of three, destitute from the continental recession, just looking for a fulfilling life for her family. For those who  need an image: Linda Hamilton
     Wei Loon Jingsheng — young woman just out of the equivalent of high school looking for a place and a meaning for her life. For those who need an image: for a less serious approach to the character, comedienne Margaret Cho or Sandra Ho from HBO's Arliss, or for a more serious approach, Gong Li, actress from Zhongguo who works for director Zhang Yumin a lot
     Weir Annadetcall — tactician for Gatogrebok combine that is competing with Phoebe's incumbent combine for anshin contract in Ganj Dareh. For those who need an image: Forrest Whitaker or in a slightly different direction, Dulé Hill (Charlie Young on "The West Wing")

Major Supporting Characters

     Bis Tidhar Holong — initially, Norma's lover, but he goes through major development, as described in Miracles of Life, the second novel (a co-quel actually) in the Midway for Combines series, leading to a significant role in this book
     Bre Harlan D'Grennan — senior anshin techniker in Ganj Dareh, a detective who can assume tactician's (supervisor's) role on-site. For those who need an image: Cheech Marin, Rich Williams
     Dyr Kanpachiro Nitsta — assigned from Byukan-Hamil staff to led proposal development in Ganj Dareh For those who need an image: Joel de la Fuente (Lt. Paul Wang from Space: Above & Beyond); Garrett Wang from Star Trek: Voyager
     Ges Lugar Sailie — head of Propaganda for Le Coeur de la Patrie. For those who need an image: a young Max von Sydow
     Günter Gatogrebok — most influential member of the Gatogrebok Con-Hominium, driving force behind their competitive challenge to Byukan-Hamil in Ganj Dareh. For those who need an image: an intense Burl Ives
     Koen Meyer Nathanian — Foxfire's boyfriend. For those who need an image: a young Rob Morrow
     Okra — Executive Elder, the one who deals with the Circle of Humanity, for the social organization that calls itself "The Tangent". For those who need an image: Scott Glenn
     Sous Thy Pouthisat — chief of combat training for Le Coeur de la Patrie. For those who need an image: Linda Hunt in her role in "The Year of Living Dangerously," with Mel Gibson

Minor Characters with Continuing Roles

    Ead Weard Muybridge — rookie constable on patrol, Chirushahtoosh's partner; guileless, white-blond
    Jie Duobazha Chirushahtoosh — Muybridge's partner, tall, beak-nosed
    Ford McAdamson — team-leader in Weir Annadetcall's combine; a friend from before this project started. For those who need an image: a young Anthony Edwards
     Lincoln Gerovitch Prokopowicz — an anshinkan chief of Direvnya Mujunkum on Continent Nikolayev who serves as Weir's peace-management advisor and as an ad-hoc representative on the Board of Directors for the Mirnaya Direvnya. For those who need an image: Charles Martin Smith
     Nic Idombruce Colditzescaper — member of Byukan-Hamil's Team of Partners; succeeded to Partner position vacated when Norma's father died; used to the money and power of the position; wise in the ways of power, but not studied and not terribly ambitious; still, next to Norma, he carries the greatest weight within the organization; in Partner meetings, he appears smoothed to human perfection. For those who need an image: Ted Knight
     Jac Irwin Codedivisionma — member of Byukan-Hamil's Team of Partners; brought onto the Team at a time when the expansion of the Partner concept was an expression of Byukan-Hamil's power, Irwin has a large stake in the status quo, but he is also a fan of Gatogrebok in secret; appearance: florid in and out of Partner meetings. For those who need an image: John Collum (from "Northern Exposure")
     Za Leez Doconrice — Partner for the Hubei Region, Phoebe's boss. For those who need an image: Camryn Mannheim (Eleanor Frutt in "The Practice")
     Steve Zim Kiltonlaworder — works for Cliff, one of two in his initial staff for Rendezvous of Training, doll-like face and limber body with hardly any curves though she carried herself with supple feminity
     Char Lotte Siepmann — works for Cliff, one of two in his initial staff for Rendezvous of Training, stout, muscular with "lush breasts and broad hips, though she did little to tame them"
     Ngo Mayubu Nkulikingoma — member of Byukan-Hamil's Team of Partners; an independent man of principle who causes the various schemers some problems. For those who need an image: James Earl Jones
     Ler Schuess Johnufosleuth — member of Byukan-Hamil's Team of Partners, a minor schemer, more important in his own mind than in the scheme of things. For those who need an image: Danny DeVito, Joe Pantoliano