Horace F. Andrews is the Keeper of the Fel'Daera.
Background[]
Horace is an only child who lives in a house on Bromley Street with his parents, Jessica and Matthew, and his cat Loki. He attends an unnamed school likely located in Dunning or Portage Park, and is almost certainly in sixth grade. Based on his age as entered in the House of Answers guestbook, he was born in February or March 2003. Before the events of The Box and the Dragonfly, he was best friends with twins named Alex and Martin, who had moved away several months previously.
Personality[]
Horace is a deeply intellectual person. He likes to think things through before making decisions, and does not usually act on impulse, except when driven by his intense curiosity. He is mentioned to be a believer in coincidences, and describes himself as a patient observer. He is generally cautious and thoughtful, but far from cowardly.
He enjoys reading and science, which is his favorite subject. He doesn't label himself a nerd, though he doesn't mind being called one. However, he feels frustrated when he has to defend his interest in science. He often overthinks and is described as "compulsively organized", though he does have a tendency to lose house keys; he likes things that are orderly and neat, such as his mother's chess set and other "clever little boxes". He has a deep desire to know how various devices work, including Tanu.
He seems to have strong morals; when he sees Chloe using the dragonfly to steal food, he feels significantly dismayed and angry. Later, when he suspects that her mints are stolen, he is not interested in eating one.
He enjoys playing chess, and his mother considers him as having a good chess mind. He also enjoys collecting and playing marbles. He is interested in stargazing, and often recreates lesser-known constellations on his ceiling using glow-in-the-dark stars. His favorite food is plain salami sandwiches, and his favorite animal is the bat, although he likes owls too. He is good at keeping secrets, but finds it a burden nonetheless.
While he is never afraid to ask questions, he is sensitive and socially aware, and typically knows when to stop asking about a troubling topic- a trait he shares with his mother. Occasionally, his interest is so thoroughly piqued that he misses a hint. He usually attempts to defuse the conflicts that Chloe starts with allies, though not often with success; he will support her choices even if he disagrees. He is generally forgiving.
He has an extremely accurate internal clock, even before becoming a Keeper. In stressful situations, his mind starts automatically counting off seconds, and he may ask questions to distract himself. When presented with confusing revelations or complicated problems to solve, he often needs to explicitly dedicate time to think about them, often to the exclusion of anything else.
Horace is deeply claustrophobic, though he dislikes the label. This seems also to be associated with a fear of darkness, or of being trapped in general; the elevator in the Mazzoleni Academy makes him particularly anxious. He does not like loud or confusing environments, and sometimes gets overwhelmed when he goes downtown, despite otherwise enjoying it. He's also a terrible liar, even by omission, though he improves somewhat if he's prepared the lie in advance. He is self-conscious about his size and build, and often comes across as embarrassed and nervous. He has significant difficulty sneaking around or being stealthy, and he seems to be easily surprised.
Horace has an intensely close bond with the Fel'Daera, even weeks after becoming a Keeper. He views the Fel'Daera very seriously and generally looks through it only rarely and cautiously, compared to how often other Keepers use their instruments. He has a great respect and admiration for the box's properties, and recognizes it as a mysterious and uniquely powerful machine, though he also appreciates the craft and abilities of other Tanu.
He doesn't seem to be particularly athletic, though he is nonetheless very persistent, and pushes himself hard. He is a good sprinter but tires easily.
He has a tendency to use unusual phrases, like "Holy jeez" and "Holy creeping cow", to express surprise.
Description[]
Horace is described as being tall for his age, with a big frame; he is about six inches taller than Chloe. He has long legs, shuffling footsteps, a low voice, and very shaggy hair. He views himself as big and clumsy, and may have recently gone through a growth spurt. He is somewhat prone to blushing.
Relationships[]
Jessica Andrews[]
Horace has a strong relationship with his mother, greatly respecting her both as a parent and as a person. He trusts her greatly and is almost always open with her, outside of the events of the first book. They play chess together every Friday night, and though he almost always loses, he enjoys the challenge.
Matthew Andrews[]
Horace gets along well with his father, describing him as a good guy.
Chloe Oliver[]
Horace is intimidated by Chloe upon first meeting her, which quickly sours into dislike after she insults him. However, he still feels protective of her, trying to save her from Raka and not wanting to hurt her. He doesn't trust her at first, but soon grows to admire her and recognize her strength. He's strangely flattered to find out that she broke into his house, and pleased when she calls him clever, wanting to impress her. He refers to her as brave, smart, clever, pretty, and reckless.
After learning that Chloe has had the Alvalaithen for most of her life, Horace begins feeling a stronger sense of empathy for her. He quickly forms a close bond with her and grows to rely on her confidence, viewing her as an amazing friend.
Mrs. Hapsteade[]
Horace is initially intimidated by Mrs. Hapsteade, though he trusts her nonetheless.
Ja'raka Sevlo[]
Horace is afraid of Raka.
Mr. Ludwig[]
Mr. Ludwig is Horace's favorite teacher at school.
Alex and Martin[]
Horace was best friends with these brothers for almost five years, until they moved away. They still stay in touch, apparently via mail.
History[]
Horace was riding the bus home from school when he happened to spot the House of Answers sign, mistaking it for his own name. While trying to investigate, he had a frightening encounter with Ja'raka Sevlo. Horace soon entered the House of Answers and signed in. He had a brief conversation with Mrs. Hapsteade, who warned him about Raka and gave him a raven's eye. Returning home, he discovered that he had lost his house key; his mother let him in. He did some research online, then played his weekly game of chess with his mother. He tried to fall asleep, but was troubled by memories of Raka.
The next day, he took the bus towards the House of Answers, noticing Chloe. Raka boarded the bus without seeing Horace, who disembarked and ran. Chloe helped him escape, but was hostile and unwilling to share information, and soon left. Just as Horace was heading for the House of Answers, Raka stepped into his path. Horace distracted him by throwing the raven's eye into the street, then entered the House of Answers. There he met Mr. Meister, who encouraged him to search the warehouse. After a few minutes of exploration, Horace found the Fel'Daera, and his Find began. Mr. Meister sent him home with a powerful leestone and a few words of advice.
Over the next few days, Horace went through several stages of the Find. He stagnated for several days, unable to determine anything about the box's abilities. After his father convinced him to put a house key in the box, Horace began experimenting, sending a large variety of items. The next day, after the house key reappeared, Horace discovered that the box could send items one day into the future. He discussed time travel with Mr. Ludwig and continued to experiment, sending a stopwatch and a firefly through the box. Finally, he discovered that looking through the box allowed him to see one day into the future.
While experimenting further with the box, Horace happened to notice the next day's Chloe sneaking through his yard. He followed her to the end of the street, where he had an encounter with a future Raka. He was able to lure Raka away and help Chloe escape; he then returned the next day to continue following her. Ultimately, he tracked her to a small white house, before returning home. The following day, Chloe confronted Horace in his school bathroom, asking him about the box. They planned for her to come to his house at midnight so they could talk more. They spent that night sharing stories and information about their instruments; Chloe finally admitted that Raka had been at her house.
The following week, Horace and Chloe visited the House of Answers, where Mrs. Hapsteade explained the nature of Tanu and the conflict surrounding them. Suddenly, the House of Answers was breached by a golem, though the Keepers and their instruments managed to escape into the sewers. They passed through a Nevren with some difficulty, then met up with Gabriel, who escorted Chloe and Horace to a cloister. Beck drove them back to Horace's house, where Chloe spent the night for her own protection.
They met Mrs. Hapsteade at the bus stop the next morning, and Beck drove them all to the Mazzoleni Academy. Mrs. Hapsteade led Horace and Chloe into the Warren to meet with Mr. Meister. Now that they were through the Find, he explained the properties and nature of their instruments, encouraging Horace to use the box rationally and sharing the nature of his own instrument as well. He asked them to join the Wardens, and explained their purpose by recounting a simplified history of the War of Sundering. Despite his harsh warnings about the threat posed by Raka, Chloe lied continuously, understating just how much danger she and her family were in. Mr. Meister set up a meeting with them the following night in Horace's toolshed.
Trivia[]
- Horace's first name is derived from a Latin word meaning "timekeeper".
- The name "Andrews" doesn't seem to have any plot significance, and his middle name is never specified beyond the initial "F". It's likely that his name overall was designed to match the phrase "House of Answers".
- Horace nearly bonded the Laithe of Teneves, but the Fel'Daera was much better suited to his aptitudes.
- At some point, Horace played Dungeons & Dragons.
- Horace doesn't keep a diary.
- Horace has a shirt from a restaurant called The Eleven Spot, which is most likely a reference to Holes, by Louis Sachar.
- Horace has neither read nor watched The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
- Horace doesn't believe in aliens- or, at least, he doesn't believe there are aliens on Earth.
- His favorite skyscraper is 875 North Michigan Avenue (known at the time of publication as the John Hancock Center).
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