Madame Guderian
Names: Madame GuderianMadameAngélique GuderianAngélique Montmagny GuderianCitizen Angélique Montmagnythe sainted Madamethe old womanthe terrible old womanGuderianAngéliquethe Frenchwomanthat obscene old womanFelicethe gold-torc lady
First appears in Book 1: The Many-Colored Land, chapter 1 (Prologue)
Appearances
What you know
Book 1: The Many-Colored Land
- Ch 1Madame waits upstairs with refreshment for Guderian and his visitors.
- Ch 9Widow of Professor Guderian, she was nearly broke from death duties when Richter arrived in June 2041 offering a large sum to use her late husband's time-gate.
- Ch 9She required clients to stay two days for screening, barred fugitives, the deranged and those under 28, and banned modern weapons.
- Ch 9She required women travelers to renounce fertility, reasoning they would otherwise face subjugation and their daughters enslavement, and that it would limit impact on the past.
- Ch 9Her early profit motive turned to compassion, with fees often waived; over about sixty-five years, more than ninety thousand people passed through.
- Ch 9In 2106 she herself entered the Pliocene alone with roses cuttings, leaving a note reading 'Plus qu'il n'en faut.'
- Ch 13Angélique Guderian was the first custodian of the time-portal and set a minimum age of twenty-eight for clients.
- Ch 14Madame Guderian forbade modern weapons through the gate: no zappers, stun-guns, atomics, gases, gunpowder weapons or psychocoercive devices; primitive weapons are allowed.
- Ch 18Madame Guderian, the auberge's foundress, was a practical psychologist who built group solidarity by putting clients through hardship together.
- Ch 37Angélique Guderian is a middle-aged woman with a golden torc who leads a band of human desperados and demands to be called Madame.
- Ch 37Angélique's band apparently took Richard, Amerie, Felice and their gear, hid all traces of camp, and used mind-control to draw Claude to their fire.
- Ch 39Leader of the Lowlives, aged 131, wearing a golden torc given by the Firvulag; lives at Hidden Springs and feels guilt she hopes to expiate.
- Ch 39Her abilities: moderate farsense, weaker coercion of ordinary humans and grays, and some illusion-making; she cannot read Felice's mind or coerce exotics or gold/silver torc wearers.
- Ch 39She is in the confidence of the Firvulag, who intend to use her as a weapon against the Tanu.
- Ch 39Madame's plan is to attack and overrun Finiah with Firvulag help and destroy its barium mine, which would cripple Tanu torc manufacture and society.
- Ch 39Madame says the arrival of humans in the Pliocene broke the old balance of power between Tanu and Firvulag, letting the Tanu dominate.
- Ch 39Madame chooses a seven-person expedition: Burke leads, with herself, Claude, Felice, Richard, Martha and Stefanko, and Amerie is kept behind to heal.
- Ch 39Madame seldom projects mentally and lacks the skill for narrow-focus farspeech undetectable by Tanu.
- Ch 39Uses mental coercion and genuine compassion on Richard, though she admits she cannot truly coerce him beyond the passing moment.
- Ch 39Describes herself as the mother of one hundred thousand wayfarers who came to her as their last hope.
- Ch 40Madame Guderian, an old Frenchwoman with metafunctions, leads the human plot to take the Spear and a flyer from the Ship's Grave and strike Finiah.
- Ch 40She says she swore to help the Firvulag as part of her expiation, aiming to end Tanu enslavement of humans and restore the status quo.
- Ch 41Madame decides Fitharn will turn back with Burke while the rest, including the weakened Martha, continue the quest.
- Ch 41She ran the time-portal business, sent travelers in at dawn, and feels responsible for their enslavement by the Tanu.
- Ch 41She went through the portal herself at midnight, landed in a dust storm, hid near Castle Gateway and survived on a melon.
- Ch 41Madame recounts how she hid in a cork tree at night and witnessed the Hunt chase a huge black monster.
- Ch 41Madame says she showed a brief flash of strong metafunction while concealing herself and Fitharn from the Hunt.
- Ch 41Madame proposed that the Firvulag ally with humans instead of tormenting them, and persuaded the Lowlife humans to accept the alliance.
- Ch 41Madame was given the golden torc by King Yeochee and hopes to help undo the evil she has done.
- Ch 41Madame touches her golden collar as if to loosen it; her eyes glitter but she never weeps.
- Ch 41Madame earlier avoided the farm people, fearing retribution for betraying their dreams, and suspected a different role was ordained for her.
- Ch 42Leads the expedition and has a master plan to destroy the entire human-Tanu coalition, not merely the Finiah mine.
- Ch 42Her three-step plan: destroy the Finiah mine, infiltrate Muriah and destroy the torc factory, then close the time-portal at Castle Gateway.
- Ch 42With the iron, she hopes to demand a genuine armistice and emancipation of all humans who do not serve the Tanu willingly.
- Ch 43A metapsychic who senses the Howling Ones' hatred and self-loathing as overwhelming mental noise; she is self-taught, never properly trained.
- Ch 43She and her party seek the Ship's Grave to obtain ancient items from its crater, as part of a plan to free humanity from the Tanu.
- Ch 44Madame devised the plan against Finiah and is freeleader of the Lowlives; her stone rose-covered cottage hosts committee meetings.
- Ch 44Madame has a three-phase plan; Finiah is part of the first phase, and she is currently away.
- Ch 45Madame Guderian uses coercive and farsensing metafunctions, and strained to restrain Felice's latent powers when the girl raged.
- Ch 45Madame worries that an attack on Finiah this year may be precluded by the lack of a trained pilot for the fire-fight.
- Ch 45Madame decides both flyer and Spear should be put in working order before leaving, and that the attack will go ahead if even one day remains before the Truce.
- Ch 46Leader of the group and author of the attack plan; insists on flying along to shield the flyer with a metapsychic screen.
- Ch 46She expects her screen to be pierced once many Tanu minds attack it, hopefully after the mine has been struck.
- Ch 47Her Firvulag-Human Entente influence reached only the small settlements of the Vosges and upper Saône, able to muster about 100 fighters.
- Ch 47Returns to Hidden Springs by night in the black flyer, announcing she has brought the Spear, and walks off in a daze.
- Ch 48Madame used her farspeech power to send an enigmatic 'we come' to Pallol so the invasion fleet would exploit the bombardment of Finiah's wall.
- Ch 48Madame sensed the Hunt approaching and screamed in anguish before collapsing senseless.
- Ch 49Her grand design requires cutting off the barium supply needed to make torcs.
- Ch 49Warned Burke that humans in Finiah might not be grateful for liberation; her plan aims to liberate Pliocene humanity.
Book 2: The Golden Torc
- Ch 14Madame Guderian will judge the liberated human survivors of Finiah, who are being taken to a bottomland camp.
- Ch 15Madame Guderian will make use of freed ex-gray and ex-silver human artificers and scientists whose torcs were chiseled off.
- Ch 16Madame Guderian leads rustic human irregulars in the area between the Firvulag and Howlers; her iron is blamed for the Firvulag attack on Finiah.
- Ch 17Madame Guderian is ailing: she inhaled fumes during the Finiah bombardment, her lungs are damaged, and her rejuvenated youthful look is fading.
- Ch 17She feels guilt for letting people pass through the time-portal into slavery and vows to abolish gray and silver torc slavery and close the portal.
- Ch 17She insists iron production take priority so all Lowlives can be armed with iron weapons, and plans to leave south the next morning.
- Ch 17Madame says the tenets of her faith counsel bearing the child, but suggests pregnant refugees might follow the Tanu practice of giving children away.
- Ch 18Madame feels guilty for having opened the time-portal and insists on going to close it as atonement.
- Ch 18Madame distrusts the Firvulag leaders Yeochee and Pallol One-Eye, fearing they may use the humans treacherously after the torc factory is destroyed.
- Ch 20Madame poses as Felice's grandmother in emerald gauze robes. She plans to throw a message through the time-portal at dawn on the twenty-second.
- Ch 20Madame plans for most of the expedition to travel by river while she and Claude hide near Castle Gateway to strike a double blow against the Tanu.
- Ch 20Madame releases Fitharn from service, thanks him on behalf of free humanity, and sends a farewell to King Yeochee.
- Ch 20Madame mentally holds Fitharn in a clasp and is able to read his emotions.
- Ch 21Disguised as a gold-torc lady, she buys amber from a Firvulag jeweler to make message carriers urging closure of the time-gate.
- Ch 21She and Claude seal a message in amber: Pliocene Europe is controlled by a malign exotic race, so the time-gate should be closed and contrary messages ignored.
- Ch 27Madame Guderian organised the Finiah attack and plans to hit the time-gate in sync with the factory assault.
- Ch 29Angélique is coughing blood and secretly took Amerie's medicines; she is dying but concealed this from Claude.
Book 3: The Nonborn King
- Ch 5Madame Guderian never trusted the Little People, and her doubts were confirmed.
Book 4: The Adversary
- Ch 17Madame Guderian and Amerie-chan are dead and buried near Hidden Springs; Kawai brings red Precious Platinum roses to the burying ground.
Connections
- family ofThéo Guderianwife
- leadsAuberge du Portail
- leadsGuderian's devicefirst custodian
- createdAuberge du Portailfoundress
- related toGalactic Milieucontinues her work operating the time-gate
- enemy ofClaude Majewskicaptures him with mind-grip, though not hostile in tone
- leadsLowlives
- ally ofFirvulagprecarious alliance
- ally ofPeopeo Moxmox Burke
- ally ofYeochee IVuneasy alliance against the Tanu
- ally ofClaude Majewski
- ally ofFitharn
- friend ofClaude Majewski
- ally ofFelice Landryrestrains and looks after her
- partner ofClaude MajewskiBickering couple implied by their quarrel and Claude's concern; not stated outright
- leadsRichard Voorhees
- friend ofPeopeo Moxmox Burke
- ally ofJafar
- ally ofSister Annamaria Roccaro
- friend ofFitharn
- ally ofGroup Green
Key moments
- Book 1 · Ch 1Guderian ends the demonstration
Guderian laughs off his colleagues' praise, invites them up to Madame for refreshment, and sweeps the ashes of a hipparion into the wastebasket, where they float on green alien slime.
- Book 1 · Ch 9Richter passes through the time-gate
Poet Karl Josef Richter pays Madame Guderian a large sum; she sends him and his dog Schatzi to the Pliocene, becoming the first time-tripper.
- Book 1 · Ch 9Founding of the Auberge du Portail
Madame Guderian turns the time-gate into a screened business, building an inn, setting criteria for travelers and defeating official attempts to suppress it.
- Book 1 · Ch 9Madame Guderian enters Exile
In 2106 Madame Guderian herself goes through the gate into the Pliocene, and the authorities keep the portal operating.
- Book 1 · Ch 37Camp vanishes; Claude taken by Angélique
Claude returns to find the cabins and companions gone, follows a trail marked by a green feather, and is mentally compelled into the camp of Angélique Guderian.
- Book 1 · Ch 39Refuge in the Tree
Madame Guderian shelters Group Green's remnant with the Lowlives in the giant sequoia, explaining Firvulag help, torcs, and the exotics' nature, and proposes they join her plan.
- Book 1 · Ch 39Iron discovery
After Claude recounts Epone's death, Burke and Madame test the dagger theory; the group resolves to smelt iron weapons and try iron chisels on gray torcs.
- Book 1 · Ch 39Fitharn tells Brede's Tale
Fitharn recites the tale of the Ship's death, the Grave's consecration and the first Great Ordeal, hinting at aircraft and the Spear at the Grave.
- Book 1 · Ch 39Claude identifies the Ship's Grave
Claude reasons from geography that the Ries crater in the Swabian Jura region is the Ship's Grave, sparking celebration among the Lowlife.
- Book 1 · Ch 39Expedition chosen
Madame decides a seven-person party must set out immediately to find the Grave, leaving Amerie behind to heal the people.
- Book 1 · Ch 39Madame persuades Richard
Madame uses telepathic pressure and compassion to overcome Richard's refusal; he agrees to join the expedition and fly the aircraft back.
- Book 1 · Ch 39Fitharn advises seeing the King
Fitharn offers Firvulag help for finding the Danube on the way to the Ship's Grave, saying the expedition must first visit the King.
- Book 1 · Ch 40Audience with the Lowlife expedition
Yeochee receives Madame Guderian's party. She presents Claude's identification of the Ship's Grave and plans to retrieve the Spear and a flyer to attack Finiah. Yeochee approves and writes a note ordering Sugoll to guide them.
- Book 1 · Ch 41Party splits
Madame Guderian decides Fitharn will take the wounded Burke back to Amerie while the others, including Martha, continue toward Sugoll and the Danube.
- Book 1 · Ch 41Madame Guderian tells her story
Hiding by the Rhine, Madame explains human collaborators and recounts her midnight trip to the Pliocene, finding it enslaved by Tanu.
- Book 1 · Ch 41Madame hides from the Hunt
Madame, in a cork tree, hides fearfully as the Hunt chases the black monster Fitharn past her. She faints, and wakes to Fitharn thanking her for hiding them both.
- Book 1 · Ch 41Alliance of Firvulag and humans
Madame was taken to High Vrazel, forged an alliance between the Firvulag and Lowlife humans, and was awarded a golden torc after Iskender-Kernonn was killed.
- Book 1 · Ch 41Party heads for the river
After Madame's tale, dusk falls and Felice urges crossing the Rhine before moonrise; Claude and Madame climb down to the water.
- Book 1 · Ch 42Crossing the Fungus Forest
The five travelers spend eight days through the fungus-filled Black Forest, then emerge with relief into a sunny alpine meadow with a tarn.
- Book 1 · Ch 42Signal exchange with Sugoll
Flashes from the Feldberg slope are the interrogation signal; Madame answers with the mirror code Fitharn taught, and Sugoll's people reply, so the party may proceed to meet him.
- Book 1 · Ch 43Meeting with Sugoll
Led by the Bogle to an alpine meadow, the travelers are overwhelmed by the Howling Ones' mental projections, and meet Sugoll, who delivers his challenge by revealing and hiding his true form.
- Book 1 · Ch 43Sugoll grants guides to the Ystroll
Sugoll learns of the travelers' quest, and the Bogle Kalipin explains the underground Ystroll route; the Howling Ones agree to send boatmen and vanish.
- Book 1 · Ch 45Rama's gift of fruit
A wild rama leaves two fruits near the camp; Claude trades her salmon, and she takes it away to her family.
- Book 1 · Ch 45Arrival at the Ries crater
After a hot trek, with Martha hemorrhaging and carried on a litter, the party reaches the pass and sees the crater rim, confirming Richard's navigation.
- Book 1 · Ch 45Lugonn's tomb and the Spear
The party finds Lugonn's skeleton without a torc; Felice rages and is subdued, then they recover the Spear and powerpack and move to Number Four Aircraft.
- Book 1 · Ch 45Planning priorities
The group debates whether to fix the flyer first or also test the Spear before heading home; Madame decides to do both while time remains before the Truce.
- Book 1 · Ch 46Planning the Finiah raid
Around the campfire the group discusses the flyer, the Spear and the air raid on Finiah. Madame overrules Claude's objection and insists on providing a metapsychic screen; Claude will fire the Spear.
- Book 1 · Ch 47Firvulag recruit distant Lowlives
Firvulag messengers gave gifts and aid to isolated human settlements, then presented Madame's plan, bringing nearly 400 volunteers to Hidden Springs and the Rhineland staging area.
- Book 1 · Ch 47Madame returns with the Spear
After a day of watching circling raptors, Amerie spots the high aircraft; it lands at Hidden Springs after dark, and villagers hide it with nets. Madame announces they have brought the Spear, and the bleeding Martha is rushed to Amerie.
- Book 1 · Ch 48Strike on Finiah and the mine
The flyer hovers over Finiah; Claude breaches the wall and blasts the mine into a lava eruption while the Flying Hunt attacks with ball lightning.
- Book 1 · Ch 48Crash and rescue
The injured crew crash-land; Felice carries Claude out and Amerie assures him they will recover.
- Book 2 · Ch 17Inspection of the refugee camp
Madame Guderian, Burke and Kawai tour the camp and hospital; Kawai reports on dispersal plans to the Nancy iron site and Madame reaffirms the priority of iron.
- Book 2 · Ch 17Madame collapses and is treated
Madame coughs violently and nearly faints; Burke carries her to the hospital where Jafar treats her, but she refuses rest and insists on leaving south next morning.
- Book 2 · Ch 18Farewell supper and planning
On the eve of departure the eleven expedition members and Kawai dine at Madame's table, quarrel over who should go, and agree to bring the dead Spear south for Aiken Drum to recharge.
- Book 2 · Ch 20Disguised party arrives at the Roniah Fair
The Lowlife conspirators, disguised as Finiah refugees, sign into a campground at Roniah. Felice briefly reveals her coercive power as Lady Phyllis-Morigel. They get a secluded site on high ground.
- Book 2 · Ch 20Council of war at the campfire
The party plans to send the torc-factory strike-force to Muriah by riverboat. Claude's alternative plan changes the time-gate action. They agree to try contacting Aiken Drum by farspeech through Elizabeth.
- Book 2 · Ch 20Plans for the river escape settled
The expedition agrees that Felice leaves at dawn with an escort and a noon broadcast is set, while the others scout a boat at the Roniah wharf.
- Book 2 · Ch 20Fitharn's warning
Madame dismisses Fitharn with thanks and tells him of the plans. Troubled, he warns her to tell her people to trust no being too far, even if they succeed, then vanishes.
- Book 2 · Ch 21Amber message prepared
Angélique and Claude seal a signed warning to close the time-gate inside split amber, ready to transmit at noon.
- Book 2 · Ch 21Elizabeth relieves black-torc child and receives call
Elizabeth eases a dying child, refuses to stay long-term, and then hears Angélique's telepathic call about sabotage of the torcworks, with Brede's help.
- Book 2 · Ch 21Wedding of Claude and Angélique
At night Amerie conducts a marriage service before the old pair go into hiding.
- Book 2 · Ch 29Nodonn's compact
Nodonn confronts Claude and Angélique in a mental vision, revealing he wants them to close the time-gate visibly so the Tanu will blame them; they accept, defiant.
- Book 2 · Ch 29Claude and Angélique close the time-gate
Under invisibility, the two run to the gate and jump into the tau-field, linked by hands. The field reverses and they vanish, closing the gate while Aiken flies back too late.