Simon “Si” Morley is the narrator and protagonist of the novel. Though there is little physical description of the character beyond the fact that he grows out his hair and beard to better fit 1880s fashion, Si provides a portrait of himself while in the past. Si, as an illustrator, uses his skills throughout the novel to depict various places and people he sees while traveling back and forth in time.

Si is intelligent and witty, with an artistic skill that he has opportunities to use throughout the story. He professes to be shy, though he has learned to disguise it, and it does not seem to hinder him in the novel. Early on, he is shown to have a disregard, even a distrust, for authority. Though he was once in the Army (possibly during the Korean War, based on the date of the novel), he expresses disdain for the military. He is also suspicious of government overreach, as when he discovers that Rube and his staff have been spying on him and know everything about his life and movements.

Details of his early life indicate a history of romantic entanglements, including divorce and several lackluster relationships with women before Kate.