Emile Mars-Smith

Emile Mars-Smith was an associate and friend of Bernice Summerfield.

Childhood
Emile was brought up by his strictly religious father. (PROSE: Beyond the Sun) At the age of nine, he imagined that he would marry a woman and have children. (PROSE: Where Angels Fear) He ran away at the age of fifteen to St Oscar's University. (PROSE: Beyond the Sun)

Studies at St Oscar's
Emile became a student of Bernice Summerfield, who took him on a trip to Apollox 4. Whilst on his first archaeology trip, he discovered he might be gay after he found himself sexually attracted to another man. Up until this point, he had never admitted to his sexuality even to himself, though he realised he had always truly known. (PROSE: Beyond the Sun)

Possession
Benny tasked Emile with investigating the murders on the Joanna due to his knowledge of cults. This led him to decide to join a different one of the increasingly-important religious groups on Dellah every few days, but ended up joining Adnan's cult and stealing The Grimoire of Atheron the Mage from them, using it to make a deal with an imp to locate the murderer in return for his soul. He and Irving Braxiatel evacuated the spaceport before the bomb was detonated, but Emile was caught in the blast; his body was possessed by a god who escaped from Dellah on one of John's ships. (PROSE: Where Angels Fear)

Emile was able to maintain a fragile hold on the god inside of his mind and exiled himself to an unnamed planet in an attempt to starve it. Benny, Jason Kane, Mira and the Stratum Seven agent picked him up and took him to Thanaxos in the hopes that the god in his mind would cancel out the one in G'jimo's. The plan was successful, although the agent had to knock Emile out to keep his god from absorbing power, and Emile was returned to his exile before exposure to the faith of the Thanaxons could break his tenuous control. (PROSE: The Mary-Sue Extrusion)

Later life
Emile's period of possession came to an end and he spent some time convalescing, having lost a lot of weight whilst in exile. As soon as he was well enough, Irving Braxiatel hired him to assist as he set up the Braxiatel Collection. He had him debrief Bernice Summerfield, Jason Kane, Chris Cwej and Clarence on his plans for Dellah and Vremnya and, after the Ferutu were dealt with, put him in charge of overseeing the initial stages of the establishment of the University of Vremnya. (PROSE: Twilight of the Gods)

Emile attended Peter Summerfield's naming ceremony on the Collection. (PROSE: Professor Bernice Summerfield and the Glass Prison)

Personality
Emile did not believe that he had a personality which could make up for his appearance. (PROSE: Where Angels Fear)

Appearance
Emile was podgy, round-faced and soft-featured. (PROSE: Where Angels Fear) He lost a lot of weight after recovering from being possessed by one of the Ferutu and looked older and more confident. (PROSE: Twilight of the Gods)

Behind the scenes
Matt Jones pitched Bizarre Love Triangle, a story centred on Emile, to Virgin Books as a New Adventure, which was rejected. He later pitched a story with the same name, also starring Emile, to Big Finish Productions for Bernice Summerfield. It was rejected by Gary Russell as it did not feature Benny. (REF: Bernice Summerfield: The Inside Story)