Kyle Macdonald
Names: Kyle MacdonaldKyleGrandadthe writerthe professorGrampsGrampawGrandad Kyle
First appears in Book 2: Jack the Bodiless, chapter 19 (16 SECTOR 15; STAR 15-000-001 [TELONIS] PLANET 1 [CONCILIUM ORB] GALACTIC YEAR: LA PRIME 1-378-497 [28 SEPTEMBER 2051])
Appearances
What you know
Book 3: Diamond Mask
- Ch 5A hard-drinking writer of popular science fiction who became a Rebel proponent; he is Dorothea's grandfather and a latent with unusable powers.
- Ch 5After his marriage failed and his novel Mustangs of the Sombrero Galaxy flopped, he emigrated to Caledonia in 2051 as Writer in Residence at the University of New Glasgow.
- Ch 5Kyle, Ian's father, came from Clyde to Beinn Bhiorach and persuaded his son in an impassioned talk not to sell the farm.
- Ch 6Kyle Macdonald, Dee and Ken's grandfather, was born in 2006 in a cottage on Lochindaal, Islay; he now lives on Caledonia and writes books.
- Ch 10Kyle is the children's grandfather, a famous fantasy writer from New Glasgow, heavy, aged and bald, and a showy pilot of his white Porsche egg.
- Ch 10Kyle privately thinks Ian regrets taking the children but is too pigheaded to retract his word, while he aloud says Ian wants them.
- Ch 10Kyle is a writer and creative writing teacher who fosters sedition against the Milieu and drinks whisky; he is Masha's husband and Ian's father.
- Ch 10Kyle buys three gifts at Portknockie without telling the others: pearl jewelry for Dee, a silver sea monster for Ken, and a gold dragon-headed necklet for Masha.
- Ch 10Kyle, Dee and Ken's grandfather and a writer, teases Janet, secretly fears her, and uses the word 'thrawn' to mock her.
- Ch 16A normal (nonoperant) fantasy writer of anti-Milieu novels, he has been regenerated into a younger, handsome body and flirts with Masha, claiming he did it for her love.
- Ch 16He insists on representing the normals at the Rebel meeting and refuses to be excluded by operants.
- Ch 16Kyle is a seedy but rejuvenated writer, estranged husband of Masha, who remains devoted to her.
- Ch 17Kyle is Dee's grandfather, looking younger than his son Ian, and is returning to Earth with Dee and Ken after business at Clyde.
- Ch 18Kyle is a subversive comic novelist, Masha's husband, and Rogi's old drinking buddy.
- Ch 19Kyle, once a champion of normalcy, is now classed as a minimally operant farsensor after latency therapy by Masha.
- Ch 19Kyle nearly recognized Diamond Mask's costume as a Caledonian airfarmer's flying kit, implying she is his daughter, before Rogi silenced him.
- Ch 23Writes popular anti-Milieu fantasy satires, has low-grade operancy, and is a Rebel who recruited Rogi.
Book 4: Magnificat
- Ch 3Rogi's old friend, a Scottish Rebel who writes fantasy novels mocking the Milieu; grandfather of Dorothea Macdonald.
- Ch 3Agrees to keep the Fury secret for his granddaughter Dorothea's sake, not for the Remillards.
- Ch 15Kyle is a seditious fantasy writer, Rogatien's friend, and author of Revenge of the Weakly Interacting Massive Particles; he is married to Masha.
- Ch 15Kyle told the narrator nearly a year later that the narrator had wept on his shoulder after Sally rejected him.
- Ch 27Kyle believes the exotics will force a loyalty test on human magnates and that war could break out within a year.
Connections
- family ofGrannyhusband and wife
- family ofDiamond Maskgrandfather
- partner ofGrannymarried, separated
- friend ofRogi Remillard
- family ofDaddyfather
- inCaledonia
- family ofKengrandfather
- member ofRebellion
- related toSallyKyle comforted the narrator after Sally's rejection
Key moments
- Book 3 · Ch 5Rogatben brings Kyle and Masha together
Commanded by the Family Ghost, Rogatben lured Masha to the 2029 World Fantasy Convention in London to meet Kyle; they fell in love, and Masha left Oxford and became pregnant with Ian.
- Book 3 · Ch 5Viola leaves Ian
After Ian, swayed by his father Kyle, refuses to sell Glen Tuath, Viola decides she no longer loves him, announces a divorce and returns to Earth with Kenneth and Dorothea.
- Book 3 · Ch 6Visit to Grandad's birthplace
Dee and Ken see Kyle Macdonald's birthplace cottage, talk about their father and grandfather on Caledonia, and Ken promises to take Dee there someday.
- Book 3 · Ch 10Kyle collects the family
Next morning Kyle greets the children, is stunned by rejuvenated Masha, warns the children about farm life, and flies them across Clyde toward Glen Tuath.
- Book 3 · Ch 10Gaelic quarrel in the egg
Kyle and Masha argue in Gaelic over his drinking and seditious plotting against the Milieu; Dee translates and learns of Ian's alleged involvement and Masha's intent to stay.
- Book 3 · Ch 10Lunch at Portknockie and gifts
The family eats at a seafood restaurant; Kyle slips away and returns with gifts for all three, including a loaded necklet for Masha.
- Book 3 · Ch 10Approach to Glen Tuath
Flying past Stormking's erupting volcano, they near Ian's farm and Janet Finlay directs Kyle to use auto landing.
- Book 3 · Ch 10Arrival at Glen Tuath Farm
The Porsche egg descends through airplant fog and lands at the farm. Janet Finlay greets Masha and the children coolly and tells Dee she must wait until supper to see her father.
- Book 3 · Ch 10Dee meets her father
Kyle helps Dee run to the harvesters. Dee senses Ian's exhaustion and deep sorrow, he descends from his flitter, and she looks into his emotions, wishing to heal him.
- Book 3 · Ch 16Rebel conspirators meet at Granny Kempock Tavern
Masha meets Kyle and Rebel leaders from Caledonia, Okanagon and Satsuma, discovering Kyle's rejuvenation, and delivers news of Tamara's dying and the mental-laser CE research.
- Book 3 · Ch 16Debate over secret CE weapon production
The Rebels discuss where to build and train with CE weapons; Okanagon, Satsuma and Caledonia are each judged too risky, while Alvarez urges independence before coadunation.
- Book 3 · Ch 16Rebel meeting in the tavern
Rebels debrief Masha about Jack Remillard, her grandchildren's potential, and her upcoming trip to New Hampshire, and ask her to learn Catherine's stance on Unity.
- Book 3 · Ch 16Masha and Kyle reunite
After the others leave in egg-limousines, Masha and Kyle flee in his Porsche egg, cancel her hired transport, and surrender to their old passion while heading toward Beinn Bhiorach.
- Book 3 · Ch 17Departure for Earth
After goodbyes with Janet and Ian, Dee, Ken, Masha and Kyle leave in the egg flyer for Clyde and Earth.
- Book 3 · Ch 19Halloween party on Orcas Island
Marc hosts a masquerade for metas at his house. Satsuma visitors, Dynasty members and friends mingle in costume.
- Book 4 · Ch 3Memory extraction for the rudalm
MulMul Ziml visits Rogi, who initially refuses a mind-probe and makes the Gi faint, then agrees to let the extractor record memories of the Caledonia diatreme under Kyle's supervision.
- Book 4 · Ch 3Rogi and Kyle discuss the Fury secret
Rogi insists Kyle keep secret that Fury is probably a Remillard, explaining the cover-up and the need to keep Davy MacGregor ignorant; Kyle reluctantly agrees.
- Book 4 · Ch 15Trip to Lyon symposium
Kyle drags Rogatien to France with Masha and Sally for a Unity symposium; Rebel scholars talk of Marc's coming announcement and fighting Unity.
- Book 4 · Ch 15Visit to L'Auberge du Portail
Kyle and Rogatien find the inn with Guderian's time-gate, join a tour about the Pliocene Exile, and Rogatien takes an application form despite learning metapsychics are barred.
- Book 4 · Ch 15Narrator weeps after Sally's rejection
After Sally rejected him, the narrator wept on Kyle's shoulder and begged to be taken back to the Auberge du Portail to flee to the Pliocene Exile. Kyle only told him of this nearly a year later.