Character · Book 7, This Inevitable Ruin

Orren

A Syndicate Liaison: a hooded, purple-handed, British-voiced fact-finder — 'Not quite a sheriff. Not quite an attorney. Not quite a judge' — who investigates when the kua-tin's report and the AI's disagree, and who applauds the murder he cannot prove. Under the hood, a bowl of liquid and a Valtay worm.

Segment appearances

• Prologue — Prologue
• Chapter 20 — Christmas Morning; the Ramp-Up
• Chapter 28 — Toyotomi; Agatha is looking for Carl
• Chapter 36 — Orren's zero zone
• Chapter 37 — Growler Gary, and Princess Formidable's four choices
• Chapter 38 — Relationship advice
• Chapter 39 — Alliances break; Operation Snake Pit

Arc

He tells Carl Paulie never made it inside — 'the individual parts are often disposable' (ch. 20) — hangs up on the Prime Minister over a stolen billion, turns his office into a zero zone to ask whether the failsafe can be undone, and loses his job in ten minutes when the AI walks in with vodka (ch. 36, ch. 37). Ball-less, he asks whether the agreements still stand (ch. 38), and begs discretion he will not get: history will remember him as the one who let this happen (ch. 39).