Harry Addison
Father Daniel Addison – Harry's younger brother, a priest in the Vatican and private secretary to Cardinal Marsciano
Nursing sister Elena Voso
Hercules, a dwarf
THE VATICAN
Giacomo Pecci, Pope Leo XIV
The pope's Uomini di fiducia, 'Men of trust'
Cardinal Umberto Palestrina Cardinal Nicola Marsciano Cardinal Joseph Matadi Monsignor Fabio Capizzi Cardinal Rosario Parma
Father Bardoni, an aide to Cardinal Marsciano
THE VATICAN POLICE
Jacov Farel, head of the Vatican Police
THE ITALIAN POLICE
Homicide Detective Otello Roscani Homicide Detective Gianni Pio
Homicide Detective Scala Homicide Detective Castelletti
GRUPPO CARDINALE – The special task force set up by decree of the Italian Ministry of the Interior to investigate the murder of the cardinal vicar of Rome
Marcello Taglia, Gruppo Cardinale Chief Prosecutor
THE CHINESE
Li Wen, a state water-quality inspector
Yan Yeh, president of the People's Bank of China
Jiang Youmei, Chinese ambassador to Italy
Zhou Yi, Jiang's foreign minister
Chen Yin, a merchant of cut flowers
Wu Xian, general secretary of the Communist Party
THE FREELANCERS
Thomas Jose Alvarez-Rios Kind, international terrorist Adrianna Hall, World News Network correspondent James Eaton, first secretary to the counselor for Political Affairs, United States Embassy, Rome Pierre Weggen, Swiss investment banker Miguel Valera, a Spanish communist