Who is Edward Pierce? What is mysterious about his background? Why is it so mysterious? Where does the author suggest Pierce came from? Why is this the author's guess? What crime is Pierce planning? Why? What is the intended outcome of this plan? Does Pierce get what he wanted in the end?

Who is Agar? Why does Agar work with Pierce? What does Agar hope to achieve by helping Pierce? Why does Pierce not tell Agar from the beginning what his plan is? How does Agar feel about this? Why does Agar go blindly along with Pierce? What does this suggest about Agar's personality? How did Agar damage his lungs as a child? What impact might this have on Agar's role in Pierce's plan?

Who is Clean Willy? Why does Pierce decide it is important to help Clean Willy escape from prison? Why does...