Broadcast chords among peers and make them sing
The names, most notably "Humanophone" itself, derive from Alessandro Baricco's book "Lands of Glass" ("Castelli di rabbia").
The Humanophone is an invention by Pekisch, who instruments the people of Quinnipak to sing their individual designated pitches in the order he directs.
Pekisch has an adoptive son, Pehnt, who helps him research why chords streamed into long metal pipes do not succeed in traveling through the pipes.
Jun is a woman of unheralded beauty. She receives secret letters from her husband, Mr. Rail, who frequently is away on business trips.
Jobbard writes a letter.
Morivar is a far-away city, which heralds a secret.
Finally, Abegg is a good-hearted widow which holds Pehnt and Pekisch together.