Stephen King's the Dark Tower: The Complete Concordance Revised and Updated (57 page)

RED BIRDS

TIM ROSS saw thousands of these huge red birds flying above him while he traveled through the ENDLESS FOREST with his NORTH CENTRAL POSITRONICS guidance mechanism, DARIA. The birds covered the sky for almost an hour.

W:228

RED EYE (FOLLOWS TIM ROSS)

See
WALTER
: WALTER’S ALIASES

REDHOUSE, MILLICENT

See
KELLS, BIG BERN
: KELLS, MILLICENT

RED KING

See
CRIMSON KING

REDPATH CLAN

See
MANNI

REED, JAMES

In
Wizard and Glass,
James Reed signed identity papers stating that Roland was actually WILLIAM DEARBORN of HEMPHILL.

IV:183

REFEREE KING

See
WARRIORS OF THE SCARLET EYE
: CASSE ROI RUSSE: HUMANS: FEEMALO/FIMALO/FUMALO: FIMALO

REGULATORS

In
Wolves of the Calla,
we find out that the term
Regulator
refers to the LOW MEN, or CAN-TOI, who serve the CRIMSON KING. In
Wizard and Glass,
we
learned that the BIG COFFIN HUNTERS were also sometimes called Regulators. In RICHARD BACHMAN’s book entitled
The Regulators,
the Regulators were a band of killers who were part cowboy and part
Motocops
cartoon characters. Their name came from a 1958 cowboy film about vigilantes on the rampage. Whereas STEPHEN KING’s Regulators serve the Crimson King, Bachman’s Regulators ultimately serve a demon named Tak. Despite their formal differences, all Regulators serve the Outer Dark.

V:290–91

RENFREW, HASH

See
HAMBRY CHARACTERS
: HORSEMEN’S ASSOCIATION

RENT-A-COP

JAKE and PERE CALLAHAN see this police officer when they store BLACK THIRTEEN in the lockers below the TWIN TOWERS.

VI:335

REYNOLDS, CLAY

See
BIG COFFIN HUNTERS
: JONAS, ELDRED

**R.F.

See
WALTER
: WALTER’S ALIASES

**RHEA OF THE CÖOS

The nasty old witch Rhea of the CÖos was one of Roland’s most formidable enemies during his time in the town of HAMBRY. This bad-smelling hag lived on CÖos Hill outside of town with her two mutant pets, ERMOT and MUSTY.

Like the men of the HORSEMEN’S ASSOCIATION, Rhea played a part in the defeat of the AFFILIATION. At the beginning of
Wizard and Glass
’s Hambry adventures, the BIG COFFIN HUNTERS entrusted the evil magic ball known as MAERLYN’S GRAPEFRUIT to Rhea’s keeping. This magical ball was FARSON’s prize and secret weapon, but it was also vampiric. Rhea used the ball to spy on people (including Roland), but in the end the ball made her even more crazily malicious than she was at the beginning of the tale. By the end of
Wizard and Glass,
Rhea is a sore-covered specter. However, she is still a formidable enemy.

Rhea was attracted to pretty young women, but even before her journeys in the pink BEND O’ THE RAINBOW her desires had a malicious edge, especially when her advances were rebuffed. It was in large part Rhea’s vindictiveness that landed pretty SUSAN DELGADO on the Charyou Tree fire. In the 2003 version of
The Gunslinger,
Roland bitterly remembers the part Rhea played in Susan’s death. Rhea’s mark looked like a pitchfork.

IV:
65 (indirect—“crone on the hill”),
IV:115–21
(115 description of her hut and CÖos hill; 118 described),
IV:122–38
(122 left side of her face is frozen; 130 inspects Susan’s “honesty”; 133–34 touches Susan’s clit; 137 parallel between Susan’s sexuality and her hair; 137–38 spell on Susan to make her cut her hair),
IV:140–41, IV:146, IV:154, IV:157
(and Susan),
IV:159, IV:166–70, IV:177
(keeper of glass),
IV:202, IV:212, IV:228
(cures),
IV:235, IV:246, IV:249, IV:290–91
(sees Roland and Susan. She’s being eaten by Maerlyn’s ball),
IV:299, IV:300, IV:311, IV:319–20, IV:324, IV:325–26, IV:335, IV:343, IV:353–54
(Susan must die),
IV:355–56, IV:374–75, IV:384
(Rhea Dubativo),
IV:389–90, IV:394–98
(repercussions of using Maerlyn’s ball. Message for Cordelia),
IV:403, IV:411
(note to Cordelia),
IV:413, IV:415–19, IV:420, IV:424–25, IV:426, IV:434, IV:436, IV:440–42, IV:443, IV:449, IV:452–53
(aging because of Maerlyn’s glass),
IV:485–93
(493 as Queen of Black Places),
IV:495, IV:496, IV:498–99, IV:519, IV:527–29, IV:532–35, IV:536, IV:540, IV:541–44, IV:545, IV:546, IV:549–52
(and Cordelia),
IV:563–65, IV:570, IV:571, IV:587, IV:602, IV:603–8
(burning Susan),
IV:622, IV:628–29, IV:649, IV:650, IV:656–58, IV:662, IV:666, E:165, E:166, V:40, V:55, V:71, V:411, V:703, VII:179, VII:219, VII:550, W:37
(witch),
W:38, W:84

RHEA’S MUTANT PETS:

ERMOT:
Poisonous snake. Had four pairs of fangs. IV:115, IV:117, IV:290–91, IV:299, IV:356, IV:396–97, IV:417–18
(killed by Roland),
IV:419, IV:452, IV:488, IV:492, IV:533, IV:602, IV:657, IV:658

MUSTY:
A six-legged tomcat with a split tail. He had gray-green eyes which were the same color as Rhea’s. IV:115–21
(116 described),
IV:123, IV:124, IV:291, IV:320, IV:353–54, IV:356, IV:383–85, IV:452, IV:453, IV:485, IV:486

RHEA’S MUTANT VEGETABLE GARDEN:
IV:415

RICE, LADY

See
ORIZA, LADY

RIGGINS, GEORGE

See
HAMBRY CHARACTERS
: SHERIFF’S OFFICE

RIMER, KIMBA

See
HAMBRY CHARACTERS
: HAMBRY MAYOR’S HOUSE (SEAFRONT)

RIMER, LASLO

See
HAMBRY CHARACTERS
: HORSEMEN’S ASSOCIATION

RINCON, DEF

See
TREE VILLAGE CHARACTERS

RING-A-LEVIO (RINGO)

See
DESCHAIN, ROLAND

**RITTER, AILEEN

See
AILEEN OF GILEAD

RITZY CHARACTERS

In
Wizard and Glass,
ROY DEPAPE passed through this miserable little mining village while riding Roland’s backtrail. While here, he discovered Roland’s true identity.

JOLENE:
Whore. IV:267–68

OLD MAN:
A weed-eater who told DEPAPE that Roland was descended from ARTHUR ELD. Depape killed him after he shared this information. IV:267–71

RIVER CROSSING CHARACTERS

Although River Crossing was once a very busy town, since the beginning of the LUD wars her aging citizens have lived in relative isolation. In order to disguise their town from passing looters, they hide their gardens behind clumps of weeds and let the façades of their buildings go to ruin. However, to friendly folk passing through, they are extremely generous.

By the time we meet them in
The Waste Lands,
most of the citizens of River Crossing are positively ancient. Their leader is the matriarch TALITHA UNWIN. Like Roland, Talitha speaks the High Speech. When she sees Roland she proclaims, “Behold ye, the return of the White! After evil ways and evil days, the White comes again! Be of good heart and hold up your head, for ye have lived to see the wheel of
ka
begin to turn once more” (III:232).

GENERAL REFERENCES (ALL CHARACTERS):
III:257, III:258, III:270, III:276, III:284, III:288, III:385, V:55, V:78, V:110, V:134, V:192, VI:111, VI:117, VI:182, VII:120

GENERAL CHARACTERS NOT LISTED BELOW:
(unnamed women, man with crutch) III:233–36

BILL AND TILL:
See
TUDBURY, BILL AND TILL,
below

MERCY:
Mercy was one of the first people that Roland’s
ka-tet
met in River Crossing. Like almost all of the other townspeople, Mercy is very old. Twenty-five years before the beginning of our tale she was blinded by harriers who said she was looking at em pert. Mercy is married to SI. III:229–36, III:246, III:247–51, III:288

MUFFIN, BILL, AND HIS BOY:
Bill Muffin and his son saw the bridge over the RIVER SEND. Bill eventually died of blood sickness. III:241, III:248

SI:
Si is MERCY’s husband. He assures her that Roland and his friends are gunslingers, not harriers. He and his wife were the first two people Roland’s
ka-tet
met in River Crossing. III:229–51, III:288

GREAT GRAND’DA:
III:243

TALITHA, AUNT (TALITHA UNWIN):
Aunt Talitha’s full name is Talitha Unwin. She is the matriarch of River Crossing as well as its oldest citizen. Roland calls her OLD MOTHER. Talitha gives Roland her cross and asks him to lay it at the foot of the DARK TOWER. In the final book of the Dark Tower series, Roland does so. III:231–51, III:263, III:274, IV:14, V:192, VI:118, VII:50, VII:123, VII:124, VII:518, VII:519, VII:802, VII:820

TALITHA’S GRANDFATHER AND GREAT-GREAT-GRANDFATHER:
III:232

TUDBURY, BILL AND TILL:
These two old twins are albino. III:231–51, III:252

RIVERLY

See
TREE VILLAGE CHARACTERS

RIVERS, LUCAS

In
Wizard and Glass,
Lucas Rivers signed identity papers stating that CUTHBERT ALLGOOD was actually ARTHUR HEATH of GILEAD.

IV:183

ROBERT AND FRANCESCA

See
HAMBRY CHARACTERS
: HAMBRY LOVERS

ROBERTSON, NELL

See
ROSS, NELL

ROBESON

Robeson was one of GILEAD’s guards. Like HAX, he was a traitor who supported FARSON.

I:101–3, I:105
(indirect)

RODERICK, CHILDREN OF (RODS)

See
MUTANTS
: CHILDREN OF RODERICK

ROLAND

See
DESCHAIN, ROLAND

ROLAND THE ELDER

See
DESCHAIN, STEVEN

ROLL CALL

See
CALLAHAN, FATHER DONALD FRANK
: CALLAHAN’S HIDDEN HIGHWAYS ASSOCIATES

ROMP, THE

See
HAMBRY CHARACTERS
: TRAVELLERS’ REST

RONIN

See
WARRIORS OF THE SCARLET EYE

RONK, DAVE VAN

See
DEAN, SUSANNAH
: ODETTA HOLMES’S ASSOCIATES

ROONT

See
CALLA BRYN STURGIS CHARACTERS
: ROONTS

ROSALITA

See
ORIZA, SISTERS OF
: MUNOZ, ROSALITA

ROSARIO, FREDDY

See
CALLA BRYN STURGIS CHARACTERS
: FARMERS (SMALLHOLD)

ROSCOE

See
SKIN-MAN
: SKIN MAN’S VICTIMS: JEFFERSON RANCH

ROSE, THE

JAKE CHAMBERS discovered this magical dusky-pink rose in the Vacant LOT on SECOND AVENUE and FORTY-SIXTH STREET where it was growing amid a clump of alien purple grass. This magic flower hums like a great open chord, inexpressively lonely and inexpressibly lovely. It is full of faces and voices. Jake believes that it is the key to everything; Roland suspects that it is the DARK TOWER itself.

Throughout the Dark Tower books, roses are extremely significant. The Dark Tower of END-WORLD sits amid a sea of shouting red roses, the LITTLE SISTERS OF ELURIA wear an embroidered rose upon their white flowing habits, and a model of CHARLIE THE CHOO-CHOO sits in REINISCH ROSE GARDEN in the alternative version of TOPEKA that our
tet
visits in
Wizard and Glass.
As EDDIE states within the
glammer
of his dream-vision, “First the key, then the rose! Behold! Behold the opening of the way to the Tower!” (III:49).

According to the three STEPHEN KINGs that Roland and SUSANNAH meet at LE CASSE ROI RUSSE, the wild, dusky-pink rose growing in the Vacant Lot in NEW YORK CITY is, as Roland suspected, our world’s incarnation of the Dark Tower. In other worlds, the Tower can resemble an IMMORTAL TIGER or an UR-DOG named Rover. Although we don’t know whether this triple-bodied shape-shifting UFFI speaks truthfully (after all, the three Kings are not one creature at all but three separate servants of LOS, LORD OF DISCORDIA), we do know that the Rose, which Jake, Eddie, and Roland see in New York City’s Vacant Lot, is almost identical to the beautiful red roses of CAN’-KA NO REY. Like them, it sings a song, which is simultaneously inexpressively lonely and inexpressively lovely, and its sun-yellow center contains faces and voices. However, unlike the healthy rose-song, which Roland hears as he approaches the Tower, threading into the song of our world’s Rose is a note of discord.