Antagonist

Character Role Analysis

The Masks a.k.a. the Gondwannans

Let's face it: There are a bunch of different bad guys in the book. The She Elephant, Mrs. Horsepool-Worthingham, the Resthaven people, the Blue Monkey—even the General and Mrs. Matsika have their moments of standing in the kids' way. But the Masks take the cake.

Not only do they want to buy Tendai, Rita, and Kuda early on from the She Elephant, attack people on the subway, and steal the kids in the end; they try to sacrifice Tendai to their spirits to gain more power. Creepy, right? Besides, the people behind the masks—the Gondwannans—have been enemies of Zimbabwe for a long time. We'd keep our distance if we were you.