Overview
Matthew Saaland is the viewpoint character of “The Palisade.” He is an American healthcare-litigation consultant with a fascination for estate sales, the dead, music, and unfinished artistic projects.
Role
Matthew buys Lionel Prescott’s manual at an estate sale and follows its ritual instructions, expecting a private experiment or dream. The ritual takes him to the palisade, where he meets Edith Seabrook. His first return leaves physical evidence that convinces him the place is more than a dream.
Matthew becomes increasingly attached to Edith and to the palisade’s abundance of time. When a planned meeting becomes difficult, he expands the ritual into an abandoned airport terminal so he can reach her. He later spends about a year with Edith in the palisade while only days pass outside.
After Edith decides to leave, Matthew threatens to destroy the return elixir, then returns to ordinary life alone. He later tracks Edith down and meets her in Berlin, where he sees that she has lived years in the palisade beyond their shared time. After this meeting, Matthew attempts another transit with a substitute tea and decides to remain at a temple he reaches in a desert realm.