Horace F. Andrews

**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 Mr. Andrews, and his cat Loki. He attends an unnamed school likely located in Dunning or Portage Park, and is probably 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. He is good at keeping secrets, but finds it a burden nonetheless.

He is sensitive and socially aware, and knows when to stop asking about a troubling topic, a trait he shares with his mother.

He has an extremely accurate internal clock, even before becoming a Keeper. In stressful situations, his mind starts automatically counting off seconds.

Horace is deeply claustrophobic, though he dislikes the label. He does not like loud or confusing environments. He's also a terrible liar, even by omission. He is self-conscious about his size and build. He has significant difficulty sneaking around or being stealthy. He seems to be easily surprised.

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 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, 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.

### Mr. 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, and reckless.

### Mrs. Hapsteade

Horace is initially intimidated by Mrs. Hapsteade, though he trusts her nonetheless.

### 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 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.

## 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.

## Gallery

Entering the House of AnswersWielding the phalanxCrossing the lake in the WarrenHolding a spitestoneHolding the Fel'DaeraHolding the Fel'DaeraBy Chris RiddellBy Chris Riddell