Gwendolyn ultimately plays the role of villain for the novel. However, the constraints of that role don't do her justice as she is far more complicated than a mere villain. Gwendolyn grew up the daughter of a banker in England during World War I. She has two older brothers, with whom she roughhoused as a child, playing the tomboy. When they all grew out of the rough and tumble phase, the two of them were protective of their little sister, which probably explains her decision to follow in the steps of one of them and join MI-6, the British spy agency that helped form the CIA. It was during this period of time that she became engaged to a man named Simon Rutherford. She discovered, however, that he was only interested in her because of her father's money and had no interest in her at all since he was also a homosexual. When Gwendolyn found out about all of this, she confronted him; he attacked her; and she killed him. Gwendolyn never became involved with anyone else, focusing on her espionage career.      As World War II swung towards German victory, Gwendolyn defected and joined the SS. She was never assigned anything too important, though, for fear that she was a double agent, but as the war dragged on towards inevitable defeat, qualified operatives became rarer. Gwendolyn was finally given the important task of seeing a shipment of nuclear materials to the Japanese. The materials were not quite what the Japanese needed to complete their atomic bomb project, and the Germans were sending another shipment by submarine. Gwendolyn was supposed to return on that sub, but it surrendered as soon as Germany did and she remained in Japan for fear of the Allies. She was, however, making plans to get back with her family as Japan also neared collapse, but she was one day too late. Gwendolyn was in the city of Hiroshima the day the atomic bomb dropped, which was the day before she planned to leave.      This brings us to her involvement with Robert. Gwendolyn did not die in that explosion, just as Robert did not die in his. She, however, was transformed into a being of amazing powers. She can recover from any damage unless it is applied by a tachyon weapon. She can shape shift and teleport and travel through time at will. She can conjure up items out of time and can even manipulate matter on an energy level. At first, she is angry with Robert, and in all fairness, it was his fault that the bomb was dropped on the day that we all know instead of the day after. After spending time with him, though, Gwendolyn started to ease up on him. She even began to grow rather fond of him. Unfortunately, and this IS A MAJOR SPOILER IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE NOVEL, Robert's presence is keeping her from ruling the timeline, a goal that suits her need to control perfectly. At the end of time, when it comes down to a choice between living as Robert's wife and having run of the universe, Gwendolyn ultimately opts to go for the power. However, the decision is such a conflict in her mind that it leaves us to wonder exactly how she felt about him before falling into the vortex of destruction. Perhaps only time has the answer for that one.