Reynard “Reynie” Muldoon Perumal
Founding Member, The Mysterious Benedict Society
Achievements: Learned Tamil; attained highest possible score on Mr. Benedict’s tests; correctly guessed Mr. Curtain’s secret password; consistently led friends with grace and wisdom against all odds
Expertise: Problem solving
Habits: Pacing when thinking
History: Orphaned as an infant; formerly resided at Stonetown Orphanage
Family: Miss Perumal, former tutor at Stonetown Orphanage, and her mother
George “Sticky” Washington
Founding Member, The Mysterious Benedict Society
Achievements: Memorized the Stonetown Library catalog; braved the Whisperer for the sake of his friends; helped save Mr. Benedict’s life
Expertise: Ability to read exceptionally quickly and recall every word exactly (as a result, can read and write, though not necessarily speak, most major languages)
Habits: Polishing spectacles when nervous; can become confused under pressure
History: Former quiz-show champion; ran away from home after overhearing a conversation between his mother and father
Family: Mr. and Mrs. Washington, his concerned and loving parents
Kate Wetherall
Founding Member, The Mysterious Benedict Society
Achievements: Conquered the Hoop of Fire while in the circus; faced down Ten Men on numerous occasions; almost never lost patience with Constance
Expertise: Physical dexterity, enhanced by fearlessness
Habits: Moving around
History: Mother died when she was an infant; father disappeared when she was two; ran away to join the circus at age seven
Family: Her mysterious father; Moocho Brazos, caregiver, baker, former circus performer, and friend; and her falcon, Madge (also known as Her Majesty the Queen)
Constance Contraire
Founding Member, The Mysterious Benedict Society
Achievements: Has never agreed to do anything
Expertise: Poetic talent, coupled with extreme mental sensitivity
Habits: Grumbling, protesting, demanding sweets, and napping
History: Formerly lived in hiding in a storage room in the Brookville Library
Family: Mr. Benedict, Rhonda Kazembe, and Number Two
Tai
Newest Member, The Mysterious Benedict Society
Achievements: Joins the Society at five years old; extremely observant; has an impossibly positive attitude
Expertise: Mind reading
Habits: Very talkative
History: Grew up in an orphanage; telepathically led to the Society by Constance Contraire
Family: Unknown
Nicholas Benedict
Mentor, The Mysterious Benedict Society
Achievements: Last century’s Malta Incident; received Stimler Prize for Research in Neuroscience and Philosophy; rarely hit his head when falling asleep; thwarted Mr. Curtain’s plans for world domination
Expertise: Genius
Habits: Narcolepsy (uncontrollable bouts of sleep, often triggered by strong emotion)
History: Born in Holland; after his parents died in a laboratory accident, briefly resided with his aunt in America, then in a series of orphanages; earned multiple university degrees; served as a code breaker in U.S. Naval Intelligence
Mr. Curtain
Who is he? Mr. Curtain is the founder of the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened (L.I.V.E.), a secluded boarding school now known to be the source of telepathic transmissions during the Emergency. In addition to inventing the Whisperer, a highly advanced machine capable of mind control, Mr. Curtain has been responsible for a series of significant scientific breakthroughs, including tidal turbine energy and mobile noise cancellation. Unfortunately, he appears determined to use his genius for nefarious purposes.
What does he want? In a word, control. Ledroptha Curtain has hatched one bold plan after another in hopes of seizing power over the global population. His grand mind-control scheme, code-named “the Improvement,” would have affected billions—as would his quest to acquire the fabled plant known as duskwort, which is allegedly capable of putting anyone to sleep.
How can he be identified? With some difficulty, because Mr. Curtain is now known to have an identical twin.. Notably, however, Mr. Curtain almost always wears mirrored sunglasses and travels in a specially equipped wheelchair.
Number Two
Associate to Mr. Benedict
Achievements: First person ever to record a perfect performance on Mr. Benedict’s recruitment tests; helped recruit and train the members of the Mysterious Benedict Society
Expertise: Varied, with particularly exceptional computer skills; needs very little sleep, and thus can watch Mr. Benedict in case he falls asleep due to narcolepsy
Habits: Eats almost constantly
History: Orphaned as an infant; originally from Leadville, Colorado
Rhonda Kazembe
Associate to Mr. Benedict
Achievements: Trained the members of the Mysterious Benedict Society; faithfully supported Mr. Benedict in all of his endeavors
Expertise: Varied, with a memory nearly as good as Sticky’s and a very even temperament
History: Born in Zambia; brought to Stonetown as a child
Milligan
Special Agent
Achievements: Evaded 873 pencils in the line of duty; saved the lives of the Mysterious Benedict Society on more than one occasion; has never done another person irreparable bodily harm
Expertise: Master of disguise; extraordinary mental and physical fortitude and creativity
History: Captured on a mission more than ten years ago and suffered near-total amnesia; went to work for Mr. Benedict after escaping captors; regained memory in final hours on Nomansan Island