Paul Hemsley is a young African American diviner from the 1930’s.
History[]
Paul is from the town of Portal, Georgia, living in the loop there, but left and spent two years[1] in the Flamingo Manor loop in Starke, Florida.
A Map of Days[]
In Florida, after their car breaks down, Paul leads Jacob and his friends to Flamingo Manor. Adelaide Pollard tells him the children are looking for a "portal," and Paul reveals he is from the town of Portal, Georgia and that there is a loop there. They persuade Paul to take them there and drive straight to the loop, mostly because he was not allowed into many of the places they stopped at due to Jim Crow laws. When they reach the town, he guides them to the loop entrance.
Inside the loop, Paul is chastised by Alene Norcross for being gone so long. He takes Jacob and the other children to his house, which had been kept nice for him, to wash up. Afterwards, he brings them to supper. Before the group leaves, he brings them a thermos of coffee and explains how to get back to the present.
Description[]
Appearance[]
Paul is a black boy who is physically around 13 years old. He wears an old-style shirt and a flat cap.[2]
Peculiarity[]
Paul is a diviner, with his specialty lying in divining doors, including loop entrances. This presumably means he can divine anything intended to be an entrance. He uses a rod while divining, which he keeps in the Portal signpost.[1]