Thief Lord - Characters

Characters

Scipio Massimo: (pronounced Sheep-ee-oh) The Thief Lord. Bo alone is allowed to call him 'Scip' (although on one occasion Prosper is allowed to). He is thirteen, has dark brown eyes and raven black hair. He also wears a mask that was from the black plague. He is the son of Dottore Massimo. Scipio is clever and quick-witted, but he dislikes his father and being talked to as if he were "too stupid to put his own pants on." This feeling is so strong that it causes him to ride the magical merry-go-round and become older. Scipio, while having no care for his father, has a kind heart, especially for poor children such as Prosper, Bo, Riccio, Mosca and Hornet. He also seems to have a soft spot for cats. After becoming an adult, he becomes Victor's assistant in his detective office and changes his name to Scipio Fortunato ("the fortunate one".)

Prosper: A 12 year old orphan and brother of Boniface (Bo). He is very caring to all his friends and especially to his younger brother. Prosper has brown hair and blue eyes. He is described to always have a very serious look on his face. He tends to worry excessively, but is very mature. Prosper is sensitive and does not like stealing; he especially forbids Bo to steal in case Esther uses Bo's behavior against him. Since his mother's death, he has taken care of his brother by himself until taken in by Scipio. He is also referred by his nickname "Prop" throughout the book.

Boniface: Also known as Bo, Boniface is 5 year old orphan who ran away to Venice along with his brother, Prosper. He is described having "blond hair and an angelic face." He admires Scipio and wants to grow up just like him, much to his brother's dismay.

Caterina 'Hornet' Grimani: A young orphan of twelve years old. Hornet used to live with Riccio and Mosca in the basement of an abandoned house Scipio found them and took them to the Stella. She is described to be "slender, with brown hair braided down to her hips". Her hair resembles a hornet's stinger, which is where she got her nickname, 'Hornet'. Hornet is an avid reader, and on occasion reads to the rest of the orphans. She is the only orphan who is not afraid to stand up to Scipio.

Riccio: (Pronounced Ree-chee-oh) A scrawny boy and smaller than Prosper (but claims not to be much younger). He has brown hair that sticks out everywhere, earning him his nickname, Hedgehog. He has missing teeth, which he lost in a chase. His bed is stuffed with stuffed animals and comics. He grew up in an orphanage, never knowing his parents. Scipio found Riccio when Riccio attempted to steal something off of him.

Mosca: A tall, muscular boy of African descent. Riccio says that his skin is so dark that "he could creep through the shadows". He loves the water and made his own boat. Mosca loves tinkering with his radio. Although he does not speak of his past, he is said to have a horrible family that he dislikes.

Victor Getz: A detective looking for Bo and Prosper hired by Esther and Max Hartlieb. He likes collecting disguises, especially false beards, and has lived in Italy for 15 years. He can speak English (his mother tongue) and Italian. He chases after Prosper and Riccio on their way back from Barbarossa's. He is kidnapped by the children and escapes, but gives his word he will not tell where they are. Esther referred to him after going to the police who were no help. He soon befriends the children and lies to Esther, saying the boys left Venice. Victor has two pet tortoises named Lando and Paula.

Ida Spavento: A nice lady who looks after the kids for a while and, at the end of the book, takes in Prosper, Bo, and Hornet. She is an orphan and grew up in an orphanage. She found the Conte's wing during her early life at the orphanage and kept it until she gave it to Scipio's gang to sell to the Conte. She also has a bad smoking habit, but she is trying to quit.

Esther Hartlieb: Prosper and Bo's cruel, rich aunt. She only wants to keep Bo because he looks like an angel. She is very biased toward Prosper and wanted him to go to a boarding school (where he could hardly see Bo). She hires Victor to find the two boys and ends up adopting Barbarossa (as a child after he had taken a ride on the magical merry-go-round). Later, she finds out Barbarossa has been stealing her valuable items that had gone missing long ago that disappeared into his room. She sends him away to a boarding school where he is feared by the other children.

Max Hartlieb: Prosper and Bo's rich uncle. Along with Esther, Max thinks Bo is an angel because he looks like one. He does not like children. He is described as "a giant" and has small, dull eyes and a nose peeling from sunburn when he hired Victor.

Ernesto Barbarossa: Sometimes referred as "the Redbeard" or "Baby Barbarino" (after he was turned unto a child). An extremely cheap antique dealer who does not ask many questions and loves to cheat people. He ends up riding and breaking the merry-go-round and gets stuck at an age a little younger than Bo. At the end of the book, Barbarossa is adopted by Esther (he wants to live with her because she is rich). However, Esther finds him stuffing her earrings into his pockets and then discovered in his room a collection of valuable items that had disappeared. He was sent to a boarding school where he becomes a bully; he made the other children do his bidding, including his homework and even steal. He also forced everyone to address him as "the Thief Lord."

Conte: The old man that Scipio, Mosca, and Prosper met in a confessional while planning to steal something for him. He is the Thief Lord's first client asking for something to be stolen and says that he will give him a large amount of money ( five million lire). The money exchanged for the stolen wooden wing turns out to be fake (because he cannot afford real money). He uses the wing to fix the merry-go-around, and becomes a child. He and his sister offer Scipio a ride in exchange for the stolen wooden wing (instead of money they do not have). The Conte's real name is "Renzo".

Contessa: The Conte's younger sister. Her real name is Morosina. She was the one who found Prosper and Scipio wandering around in the Isola Segreta and held them captive for the night. She did not want Scipio and Prosper to ride on the magical merry-go-round.

Dottor Massimo: Scipio's father. He owns a mansion that he and Scipio live in and several movie theaters in Venice, including the Stella.