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character

Matteo

The Pink tutor whose faith in Darrow wavers when the boy dances the Gold war-form too naturally.

Story so far

Matteo finds he has little to teach Darrow of dance — the boy performs all five Aureate forms better than he can, even blindfolded — but the war-dance Polemides so resembles a born Gold's that Matteo turns on him, demanding to know whether he truly is who Dancer claims. Unlike the others, Matteo never saw Mickey carve him and has taken his Red origin on faith; the uncanny dancing shakes it. He hammers Darrow with the true horror of discovery — that the Whites' torture, fleshPeelers, and the murder of Darrow's whole family are what await them all if he slips — betraying a fear that seems born of hard experience.

Reassured that Darrow is Darrow, son of Dale of Lykos, he takes him by ship to the seaside stables of Ishtar to teach him the gentleman's art of riding, mounting the terrified boy on a pony while a golden-haired Gold girl looks on.

Appearance

A tall, wisp-thin Pink with long limbs and a lean, beautiful, immaculately groomed face, fond of gloves; poised and precise, with a haunted edge beneath the polish.

Role

Pink tutor who tests Darrow's true identity and teaches him a gentleman's riding.

Relationships

Darrow — His pupil, whose too-natural war-dancing makes him doubt, then re-accept, the boy's Red origin.
Dancer — The Son whose word on Darrow he has taken on faith, never having seen the Carving.
Sources — 2 recorded facts, by chapter
Chapter 12
  • A fastidious, waspish Pink tutor who drills Darrow in Gold grooming, manners, speech, dining, and dance.
Chapter 13
  • The Pink tutor whose faith in Darrow wavers when the boy dances the Gold war-form too naturally.
Character portrait