Songs of the Zhongzi: the characters in the book

The Zennith clones were scarlet. They were graced with the gift of empathy and the ability to make quick decisions; and in a democratic society, they were natural leaders. In the rigid society of the Cave Dwellers, however, they were misplaced.

The Alma clones, named for the Latin word for soul, were lime green. They were gentle, caring creatures, more patient than the Zennith clones, but not leaders. Their great desire was for conciliation and consensus among all zhongzi.

The Sarga clones, named for the great Nordic poems, were yellow. They were linguists and poets, deeply emotional and terribly sensitive. They could panic easily, but they were capable of great deeds when they overcame their fear.

The Vista clones, named for the Latin word for overview, were bright turquoise. Their calling was to observe, so they paid attention to detail and had powers of instant recall.

The Vela clones, named for the Latin word for sail, were dark green and athletic. Their task was to perfect the art of manoeuvring in the air. In the freefalling colonies they often used their skills to rescue other zhongzi in trouble. In the Cave societies they became the best wobbler riders.

The Daghdans, named for the Irish Celtic god of death, rebirth and longevity, were grey. In keeping with their calling, the Daghdan clones had discovered the secret of longevity – but their solution deprived them of the ability to absorb material for repair and healing. The result was a shabby, sick, and far too numerous tribe.

The Astron clones, named for their affiliation with the stars, were silvery white. Their calling was to study the movement of heavenly bodies, such as the stars, suns, and moons. They became navigators, which caused the expansion of their interests to include the rhythm of geysers.

The Lulong clones, named for the Borneo goddess of love, were dusty pink. They studied life forms, particularly free-moving life forms. They became the shining protectors of exploited life forms, and it was largely due to their insistence that the Crater Folk took such a clear stance in the matter.

The Frolic clones were sky blue, quick, and witty, and they spent much of their energy dancing and singing. At first they were regarded as clowns, but again and again they discovered how to navigate challenging situations, such as golden helixes, rain and waterfalls.

The Kronos clones, named for the personification of time in pro-Socratic philosophy, were purple. They were born mathematicians, and they were clever at keeping statistics. But they were easily frustrated at lack of social structure and chaos – such as that around the Neowhirl.

The Spray Rider Colonies: A lovely, almost translucent aquamarine clan of zhongzi, the Spray Riders specialised early on in dancing in the spray of waterfalls. They had successfully colonised waterfalls along the coast and in the Crater, long before the council at the Neowhirl thought of colonies. They learnt to communicate with Crater folk, but were never assimilated, nor did they ever show interest in Crater affairs.

The Sons of Helios, named for the Greek god of the sun, were long-limbed and pale gold. Their talents were many; but perhaps the greatest of their abilities was their skill at mapping places and timetables in their minds, enabling them to travel widely by exploiting all the geysers around the island.

The Mara clones, named for the Latin name for the sea, were sea-green and loved the ocean. They did not thrive in the Crater, and their talents first became appreciated by the others when the Siren colony with its rich seabed was established.

The Enigma clones, named for the Ancient Greek word for mystery, were plum-coloured. They were the silent witnesses. Only four times in the history of Shianshenka did they break their silence, each time with profound effect.

There was only ever one Windweaver, and that is because he was actually Helios clone, although so changed that even his own brothers could not recognise him. His poetry conquered even the poetry of the Sarga clones, and his visions were stronger and more urgent than any zhongzi before him.

The Selvan clones, named for the Latin name for forests, were raspberry pink. In the Caves, they were known as the Cultivators. They were closely akin to the Lulong clones, but their speciality was the study of fixed growing things.

The Xipeh clones, named for the Aztec god of jewellery, were orange. Originally geologists, who’s calling was to study cliff faces and formations, they had also become fascinated by the life swarming over the cliff faces. It was in this capacity that the Leaders found a role for them in the Caves. They called them the Keepers.

The Branwen clones, named for the Celtic god of technology, were wine red. In the Caves, they were called the Technicians. They were inventive and had a deep understanding of the way things worked.

The Ogma clones, named for the Celtic god of education, language and music, were cream-coloured. Their calling was to study language. They were adept at recognising patterns, which became useful in other contexts.

The Qos clones, named for the Northern Arabian rainbow god, were all colours, like mother-of-pearl. They were experts on colour nuances, and thus eminently suited to understand the language of the gossamer globes.

The Aradia clones, named for a lunar deity, were almost translucent but had the ability to reflect the colours around them. They studied the moons and tides.

The Lilith clones, named for a Jewish night spirit, were russet-coloured. They studied nocturnal lifeforms.

The Logo clones, named for the Latin word for logic and words, were dark blue. They were known for their logic and analytical abilities.

The Vulkan clones, named for the Roman god of fire and forges, were black. They had a special affinity for danger, that attracted them to environments such as the rising air above volcanoes and hot air shafts.