Willard Tate
From Glen Cook Wiki
Willard Tate is the patriarch of the Tate Shoe Company and a cobbler at the very peak of his trade. He is old and bent with the weight of years, and wears a pair of TanHageen spectacles to compensate for his failing eyesight. Nevertheless, the old man retains a powerful will to do right by his family.
The Tates, who tend to be short and claim a hint of elvish in the blood, are master craftsmen who have two main foci - fine dress shoes for ladies off the hill, and Army boots. The latter has made them quite well off, due to the length of the Cantard Wars, and the constant need for more boots.
The Tates live in a large compound that is part home, part factory. From the outside, it appears to be a large block of run-down industrial buildings, but inside, it is seperated into apartments, offices, and work areas, all opening on a central courtyard.
Willard Tate has two children, his son Denny, and his daughter Rose. Denny, a former cavalryman and good friend of Garrett, died in an accident in the first book, Sweet Silver Blues, setting up the plot for that book. Rose is a beautiful but nasty woman who hates Garrett due to the outcome of that case.
Willard also has many nieces, nephews, brothers, and other relations working and living with him, most notably Tinnie, Garrett's on-again, off-again, red-headed girlfriend.
References
- Cook, Glen (1987). Sweet Silver Blues, pp 10-1. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-451-45070-1.
