CHARACTERS

The Skin is an animal hide the size of a small fox's pelt. It glows with supernatural energy when Andy encounters it and quivers like a beating heart when it fulfills his wishes.

Andy is a young Black pianist and Stanford-trained computer scientist. He writes code like he plays the piano, brilliantly. When his father dies bankrupt, he goes to New York to seek his fortune.

Pauline is the daughter of Andy's Spanish landlady in Brroklyn. She is eighteen when Andy meets her, and falls in love with him­. He falls in love with her only after Rose betrays him.

Rose is cosmopolitan and blonde, a Southern belle, and a social media Influencer. Her family owned oil leases in the Gulf of Mexico. Her goal is to get them back.

Arthur is a student at the New York Academy of Sciences. He introduces Andy to Rose and becomes the Chief Marketing Officer at Roxy.

Christopher designs the quantum chip that Andy uses to create Roxy. He becomes the Chief Technology Officer of Roxy.

Brett, Andy's cousin, is the black sheep of the family. He conspires with Rose to steal Roxy from Andy and hosts the IPO closing dinner in his penthouse in Steinway Towers. 

Larry is Brett's "fixer" in Washington D.C.

The Dealer owns a Curiosity Shop in Manhattan. He goads Andy to bet his life on the Skin. Thanks to Andy, he falls in love with a young woman and sells everything he owns to please her.

Prof Shih is Andy's supervisor at the New York Academy of Sciences. He overlooks Andy’s use of the Academy data center to prototyoe Roxy, and later asks Andy for a favor.

Benson is the Somerset family butler. He takes care of Andy in New York after he enters into his Faustian bargain with the Skin.