Cardinal Chang



"What else am I, but survival?"


 * -Cardinal Chang, "The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters"

Overview
Cardinal Chang is neither a clergyman, nor Chinese. Both names came to him due to the particulars of his appearance. He has a distinct red coat--thus "Cardinal"--and distinct scars that distort his eyes--thus "Chang". He is, as he says, a man who does things. These things tend to be of a criminal nature--everything from murder to intimidation. Despite his capacity for violence, Chang has something of a poet's soul. We first meet Chang in the second chapter of The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters. His story begins when what should have been a fairly typical assassination goes pear-shaped. Chang is determined to find out exactly why. While investigating, he becomes a target and enemy of the Cabal.

Chang is a skilled fighter and tactician. He puts these talents to use against the Cabal after forming an alliance with Miss Temple and Dr. Abelard Svenson early in the first book.

Appearance
Chang has greasy black hair and a stubble. He is not one for cleanliness. He is tall and powerfully built and his features are described as "sharp." Due to his profession, he is covered in scars, the most prominent being from a riding crop across his face that left his eyesight severely damaged and his sense of smell almost nonexistent. Despite his scars, in Chemickal Marriage he is called "a handsome man." Because of his eyes' sensitivity to light, Chang wears dark, round-framed glasses that fit tightly so they don't fall off during a fight. He carries a walking stick that is actually a weapon as it slides apart to reveal a dagger. He also fights with a folding razor that seems to be his weapon of choice.

His red leather coat is almost floor length and makes him stand out in a crowd. It is not in the best shape at the start of The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters and is completely ruined by the end of The Dark Volume. During Chemickal Marriage, he briefly switches to a long black coat and then to a Cardinal's robes. He wears gloves and also carries a distinct set of skeleton keys that come in handy on many occasions.

Personality
Chang's disfigurements have affected his behavior considerably. He reads poetry because longer works strain his eyes. As such, lines from poems sometimes come to Chang's mind during his adventures, making him seem a thoughtful, romantic figure even when he's killing. He spends quite a lot of time in the library researching, but has to be efficient as he searches because anything too long is painful to read. He has developed an opium addiction as he uses the drug as a means of coping with the pain. Before his injury, Chang was a student and is therefore used to poverty. He has no love for the wealthy or for politicians and holds men of power in contempt. Chang frequents brothels and is well acquainted with the owners and managers of the more prominent establishments.

Chang can be violent and ruthless and even has moments where he seems to enjoy killing. He is intelligent, but taciturn and blunt. Despite his unorthodox behavior, he can be quite a gentleman--in particular, his devotion to both Angelique and Miss Temple is noteworthy. Chang relies on his physicality to solve most of his problems, but he has highly developed observational skills, understands human nature, and can talk his way out of trouble if he needs to.