Mr Aristides

In the novel Destination Unknown, Mr Aristides is a fabulously rich and eccentric oil magnate. Despite having the reputation of being one of the richest men in the world, and despite having a lot of influence with many governments, Aristides keeps himself in seclusion in his private castle in Spain. Said to be about seventy years of age, he occupied himself mainly with his hobby of collecting Chinese Sung dynasty ceramics.

Known for his philathropy, Aristides had set up a research station in the High Atlas Mountains. The remote location was necessitated by its primary function as a centre for research into leprosy and as a settlement for some two hundred lepers. Also on the site are a research centre for cancer as well as a sanatorium for tuberculosis. These centres produced fine research and were highly respected. There were frequent visits from scientists and VIPs from around the world.

However the remote location also made the station suitable for a darker purpose. Aristides had taken a fancy to Hilary Craven. Earlier on, he had come to Fez in order to observe her. When she arrives at the research station, she is taken to meet Aristides. Aristides tells her the secret function of the research station: to collection brains. His wealth had become oppressive. He has collected many thiand ceramics. There is not much more that he could collect and so he started to collect the best young scientific brains in the world. These scientists could later be sold to the highest paying government after lobotomy to make them docile and willing to work for whoever their master would be. To Aristides this is a money making venture--he has no ambitions for power.

Aristides tells Hilary that he finds her an interesting and intelligent conversation partner. The scientific brains at the station, on the other hand, are so boring. He appreciates her passionate and rebellious streak. He attributes this to her being red-headed, just like his second wife, who also had red hair.