Liir

Liir is a boy of uncertain parentage who becomes a central figure in Elphaba's later life, first appearing as her silent page when she departs the Cloister of Saint Glinda. His origins are the subject of deliberate ambiguity: he may be Elphaba's biological son, conceived during her affair with Fiyero, but she refuses to confirm or deny this, and the question is never resolved. He is described as a "fat child" and a "ragamuffin boy" when he first joins the Grasstrail Train, and he remains a peripheral, often neglected presence in Elphaba's household at Kiamo Ko.

Identity and Arrival

Liir is introduced as a "small, chunky ragamuffin boy" who is asleep behind a trunk when Oatsie Manglehand loads the wagon for the Grasstrail Train. He insists he is meant to go, and Elphaba neither confirms nor denies this, leaving Oatsie to understand that the payment to take the green maunt away was generous enough to include him. He is described as "wary and shuttered," and he manages Elphaba's bags and attends her needs, but they do not look at each other or speak. He tells the dog Killyjoy his name is Liir, and he is "not good at making friends." His relationship with Elphaba is marked by distance; she feels "faintly jealous" when Liir lets the dog ride in his arms, and she is "almost amused to note in herself such a turgid, old-fashioned feeling as jealousy."

Life at Kiamo Ko and Near-Death

At Kiamo Ko, Liir is bullied by Sarima's sons, particularly Manek, who taunts him and leads him into a dangerous game. Manek tricks Liir into hiding in the fishwell, lowering him in a bucket and then sliding the cover on, leaving him trapped. Liir nearly drowns, and when he is pulled out, he is "like a corpse left in a stream, bloated." Elphaba, despite her lack of sorcery, is pressured by the sisters to use magic to revive him. She fails, but Nanny takes charge, pumping his legs and arms and ordering Elphaba to put her mouth on his and push air into his lungs. Elphaba does so, and Liir begins to choke and then to breathe. When he recovers, he says, "The fish talked to me. I talked to the fish. The goldfish talked to me. She said she was..." but he is hushed. He later claims the fish told him that Fiyero was his father and that Irji, Manek, and Nor are his brothers and sister. Sarima dismisses this as delusion, but the question of Liir's paternity lingers.

Growth and Defiance

As Liir grows older, he becomes more assertive. He insists on accompanying Elphaba to Nessarose's memorial service, but she refuses, telling him he must stay to care for Nanny. He argues, "I have never been anywhere, except that time with the soldiers," and when Elphaba tells him to do the washing up, he retorts, "You know what I mean." He also defies Elphaba by continuing to visit the Wizard's soldiers at Red Windmill, bringing back news of Dorothy and her companions. When Dorothy arrives at Kiamo Ko, Liir is immediately drawn to her. He kisses her, and when Elphaba tries to lead Dorothy away, Liir "suddenly leaped over and took hold of Dorothy's other hand" and shouts, "You old hag, let her alone." Elphaba is stunned, noting that he has chosen "the most awkward times to develop character." After the Witch's death, Liir accompanies Dorothy back to the Emerald City, then "disappeared into the sea of humanity in the Emerald City, to hunt for his half-sister, Nor." He is not heard of again for some time.