Reuben Pedley

Eleven-year-old Reuben Pedley is the protagonist of the novel. He lives in the Lower Downs section of New Umbra with his mother. Reuben is a very clever and resourceful boy who loves to explore the city and hide in out of the way spots while he observes the people around him. Because he has recently moved to a new neighborhood and school, Reuben does not have many friends, but he is also a loner by nature. Other boys his age are interested in sports, but he prefers to hide and explore.

Reuben is also very curious. He wonders about the how and why of things and he perseveres in finding answers to his questions. Once he discovers the watch he wants to know what it is worth, how it works, why other people want it so badly. Once he knows about the invisibility facet, he experiments with...