Vincent Van Dyke

Vincent Van Dyke (nicknamed Gunny because of his refusal to fire a gun) is the Traveler from First Earth in the fantasy book series Pendragon. Gunny is a tall black male, who works at the Manhattan Tower Hotel in New York as the Bell Captain. He is introduced in the books by helping Bobby Pendragon and Vo Spader escape from gangsters in the subway that holds the Flume. He appears consecutively in Books III, IV, and V.

Appearance In the Series

The Never War

After saving Bobby Pendragon and Vo Spader from being executed by mobsters that Saint Dane is using, Gunny reveals himself to Bobby and Spader. He hides the two in a room on the 6th floor of the Manhattan Tower Hotel, where he works as a Bell Captain. In such a position, he knows all about everything that happens inside the Hotel, including Max Rose's shady business enterprises. He saves Bobby and Spader from the mobsters who want to kill them after they are forced to deliver a message from Rose. Gunny then takes Bobby to Third Earth so they can find proof of Max Rose's plan to work with the Nazi Party, which is crucial to the future. When they return to First Earth Bobby and Gunny fly to Lakehurst, New Jersey, to make sure the Hindenburg is destroyed. A misled Spader tries to stop them, but Gunny manages to destroy the zeppelin.

The Reality Bug

While Vo Spader takes a break on Cloral and Bobby checks out Veelox, Gunny disappears on Eelong. While Bobby is trapped in a Lifelight hallucination in between Zetlin's fantasy and the real world, he finds Gunny (who actually is a mere hallucination) tied to a dam. He almost manages to free Gunny, but has to end the jump. At the end of the book, Saint Dane delivers Gunny's hand in a bag to Courtney Chetwynde and Mark Dimond, complete with Traveler's ring. Bobby goes to Eelong to rescue Gunny.

Black Water

Bobby spends the first half of the book looking for Gunny. He finds him when he follows a map left behind by Kasha's father to Black Water, a city of the oppressed gars of Eelong. Being dark-skinned, Gunny is anointed as a "king from a distant land". He reveals that he lost his hand in a duel with the vicious, reptilian tangs of Eelong. He helps Bobby and company defeat Saint Dane's plans of conquering Eelong, but is stranded on the territory with Spader at the end of the book. Spader and Gunny then turned to helping advance the Gar and Klee civilization.

Pilgrims of Rayne

Gunny had sent a letter to his acolyte to give to Bobby explaining what happened after Eelong. Gunny and Spader are teachers there, and that they are both prepared to rejoin the fight against Saint Dane whenever they are needed, and when the flume on Eelong is repaired.

Raven Rise

Gunny is seen at the end of the story with the other travelers. Press tells them all that they have failed, leading Bobby into his next mission.

Soldiers of Halla

Gunny plays a minimum role in book 10, only appearing for about thirty pages. He helps as an ambassador on Eelong and helps to create a new flume, but he did not participate in the final battle. He is one of the few travelers to accept going to Solara, as he feels he has lived a full life.