The Trouble with Perfect Page 11

  She hadn’t noticed him stop ahead of her, and almost walked into his stout frame. As Robert Blot snapped pictures of Beatrice and Conor walking up Rag Lane, Edward Archer leaned forward, so he was millimetres from Violet’s ear.

  “You better be careful, young Brown,” he whispered. “I’m not the worst of the Archers, am I, Boy?” Edward yanked his nephew backwards.

  “No, I think that would be me.” Boy glared at Violet as if he hated her.

  She looked away, tears prickling her eyes. Edward smirked and pushed Boy forward.

  Violet gasped as the group reached Archers’ Avenue and turned into Edward Street.

  The rain had finally stopped, and a huge crowd had gathered outside the Town Hall. People were packed more than ten deep. Their faces were angry, and they hissed and booed at Boy. A terrifying energy filled the air.

  The crowd parted, creating a path to the Town Hall as the group approached.

  Violet spotted Iris Archer at the front of the crowd. Macula stood by the old woman, hiding her face behind a navy shawl.

  Boldly, Iris stepped out in front of her son, blocking his advance.

  “Lovely of you to welcome me home, mother!” Edward Archer spat.

  “This is all a lie, Edward – for once, listen!” she urged him.

  “Haven’t you missed me? At least you’re here to witness Town discover your precious William is poison,” he said, loudly enough for all to hear.

  He grabbed the old woman’s bony wrist and pulled her towards him, kissing her cheek. Iris pushed him away and ranted wildly at the crowd.

  “Don’t believe what you’re told by Edward and George. They’re a terrible pair. All Edward knows is lies, they’re his truth. My grandson is no thief…”

  All eyes gravitated towards the old woman, and the crowd swelled around them. Violet was squashed against Boy, just as Macula snuck forward to speak to her son.

  “Where is he?” Boy’s mother whispered. “Whatever that nurse told you is not true. She took you from us! I love you, and your father loves you. You have to know that!”

  “You’ll never find him!” Boy replied, his eyes filled with hatred.

  “Enough,” Edward barked, spying the pair.

  He pulled Boy away from Macula, and continued towards the steps of the Town Hall.

  The crowd hissed and booed at Iris.

  What was going on? Why was everyone so angry?

  Violet spotted Mr Hatchet through the crowd. The man punched a fist in the air, his face contorted. It was odd, she’d hardly ever seen anything but a smile on the butcher’s lips until now.

  Edward mounted the steps of the Town Hall, pushing Boy ahead of him. Violet followed behind with Beatrice and Conor, as Robert Blot snapped every detail.

  A small group of parents huddled by a microphone underneath the canopy of the Town Hall, a little away from them. Violet spotted her mum and dad. Eugene was standing still, looking stiff and stern, as Rose fiddled nervously with the buttons on her jacket.

  Next to her mother was a tall red-haired woman holding hands with a much smaller, balding man. They were Beatrice’s parents. Patricia Prim looked like her daughter in adult shoes.

  Beside the microphone was another couple. Violet recognized Vincent Crooked from the Town Committee meetings. He was tall and “stately”, as Rose used to say whenever Mr Crooked’s name came into conversation at home. His black hair, flecked with white at the temples, was gelled back. His wife’s blonde hair reached just below her ears, framing a small face and a mouse-like nose and mouth.

  “Conor!” the woman squealed, as she caught sight of her son.

  Conor Crooked swaggered across the stone platform to his parents.

  “Mam, shut up, you’re so embarrassing!” His whispered tones caught in the microphone standing nearby.

  Vincent pulled Conor close, patting his back.

  “Good to have you home, son.” He nodded, smiling out at the crowd.

  A hush fell over everyone as Mr Crooked walked to Edward and pumped his hand.

  “You saved our son.” The microphone relayed Vincent’s words out onto the street. “Let me be the first to welcome you back to Town with open arms.”

  “It’s good to be back.” Edward smiled, then he looked towards the Townsfolk and cleared his throat. “When someone attacks the children of this town, they attack me. Bringing these little ones home is the least I could do.”

  “But you attacked our children, you locked them away in No-Man’s-Land,” a man shouted.

  An angry hiss filled the air.

  Violet tiptoed over to her parents, who both looked more than a little anxious.

  “We were worried sick when you disappeared this morning, pet. Who kidnapped you? Is this true, did Edward Archer really save you? For the life of me, I can’t believe anything good of that man,” her dad whispered, as he wrapped his arms tightly around his daughter.

  “Eugene, stop it, just welcome Violet home. Not everything has to be a conspiracy,” her mother scolded, elbowing past to give Violet a hug.

  “Did I say it was a conspiracy, Rose?” he huffed.

  Her parents were still fighting? Violet’s blood boiled. Shouldn’t they just be happy to see her?

  “Stop it!” she snapped, pushing back from her mother’s arms.

  Just then a loud screech filled the air, grabbing everyone’s attention. Edward Archer held the microphone aloft in his blocky hand.

  The angry crowd silenced.

  “I owe you, my people, an explanation,” the Archer twin announced. “I abandoned Perfect, at a time when you most needed my leadership.”

  “You abandoned the No-Man’s-Landers long before that,” a woman shouted.

  “Yes, I’m afraid it might appear that way, but that was not the case. Regardless of what lies my younger brother William has told you, No-Man’s-Land was created for your own good. Perhaps I can explain…”

  “Our own good? You locked us up and made our families forget we ever existed,” the woman replied. “You stole their imaginations.”

  “Let the man speak,” someone else shouted.

  “Myself and George created No-Man’s-Land because we grew up with a sick younger brother and it tore our family apart.” Edward paused for a moment. “My poor parents worked tirelessly to cure their son and, as his brothers, we helped in that role. We were still trying to fix him when, only a year ago, William stormed our perfectly peaceful town with his army and brought terror to our streets. I disappeared because I knew if I stayed, my brother would imprison me as he has done George, and I would be unable to challenge him.

  “You must understand,” Edward continued, “William is a tortured man. My mother Iris, though she would deny this tale, moved us here to escape his terrible past. He is what they call ‘a Divided Soul’, and destruction follows him everywhere.”

  “A Divided Soul? What nonsense is this? We won’t believe your lies this time, Archer,” somebody shouted.

  “Don’t listen to them, Edward, we were waiting for your return. This place has gone to pot. Bring back Perfect!” called someone else.

  Angry whispers raced the street. Some No-Man’s-Landers tried to protest, only to be hushed by the Perfectionists around them. It seemed Edward was winning favour.

  He continued, “When William – a hateful, cruel child – began to show sinister behaviour, Arnold Archer, our loving father, took him to a psychologist. My brother was diagnosed with DSS, Divided Soul Syndrome. It’s common in those with different-coloured eyes.

  “A Divided Soul has a manic mind, split between good and evil thoughts. William is the perfect example – he could charm you one minute and harm you the next. Of course, our adoring parents always covered up for his actions, until the day William tried to strangle my mother for pocket money. Father then threatened to have him committed for treatment, and was murdered in his sleep that very same night, strangled by my little brother’s shoelace.”

  The crowd gasped.

  “Sto
p it, Edward! You are telling lies – awful lies!” Iris yelled from the crowd. “William did nothing of the sort; you know what your father was like, and what these ridiculous tales have already done to our family.”

  “Mother, your secret almost cost this town three of its children,” Edward replied.

  When people began to turn on Iris, Macula wrapped an arm protectively round the older woman and quickly guided her away down Archers’ Avenue.

  “We created No-Man’s-Land to heal William,” Edward continued, “and to heal others suffering with similar conditions. We tested the people of Perfect for signs of mental instability and anyone found to be unstable was put into No-Man’s-Land for treatment. It was developed as a rehabilitation centre, to protect both those in No-Man’s-Land from the stresses of daily life, giving them the time and space to get better, and those in Perfect from any immediate danger due to their family members’ ill health. We built No-Man’s-Land from a place of love, we built it to fix our brother.”

  “Danger? How were we a danger to anyone?” Merrill Marx shouted indignantly.

  “It’s not your fault you’re unhinged, Merrill. Yours is one of the many minds we tried to fix.” Edward shook his head solemnly. “If only myself and George could have seen out our plans. Town would be thriving – there’d be no robberies or kidnappings, and, people would not be angry. Happiness and community spirit would fill our streets, just like it did when this place was Perfect.”

  “What about stealing your Perfect people’s imaginations? Would that still be happening if you’d seen out your plans, or would everyone now be looking at the world through your eye plants?” Merrill replied.

  Edward said softly, “We weren’t stealing imaginations, we were testing everyone for madness. Insanity shows itself in the imagination. The eye plants were developed as a security system – just as they are being used now, to protect the No-Man’s-Landers from themselves and Perfectionists from the No-Man’s-Landers – until such a time as they were healed and ready to come back home.”

  “Bring back Perfect!” someone shouted.

  A similar chorus echoed round the street. Violet grabbed her father’s hand.

  “They can’t really mean that, Dad, can they?” she asked.

  Eugene didn’t reply.

  Edward held up his arms, calling for silence.

  “William’s cruel nature was passed on to his son, a young boy abandoned by his father. Tell them, Boy.”

  Edward Archer pushed Boy forward. Violet’s friend stared at the microphone, then at the crowd.

  “Speak up, Boy,” Edward ordered.

  “Ahem…Dad made me do it.” He coughed, stepping quickly back from the mike.

  The crowd grumbled and roared terrible things about William.

  “Where is William? Did you find him yet, Dad?” Violet anxiously looked around.

  Eugene Brown shook his head, not lifting his eyes from Edward.

  “How did your father make you do it, Boy? The people need to know. It’s their right!” Edward ordered again.

  “He, ahem…he coerced me into it, but I didn’t take much persuading,” Boy mumbled.

  Violet pulled on her dad’s sleeve.

  “What’s ‘coerced’ mean?” she whispered.

  “He’s saying William forced him into doing it, Violet. This is all very strange.”

  Violet was now certain something was up. The Boy she knew, the one who was her best friend, did not have a clue what coerced meant and would definitely never use it in a sentence.

  Maybe Edward was doing something to Boy’s mind. Maybe he was making him act this way and say these things? He’d done it to everyone in Perfect before, so why wouldn’t he try it again?

  Boy continued, furious now. “My father will make all of you suffer. We will steal your Perfect children. The No-Man’s-Landers will take revenge on all of you who forgot they ever existed. Perfectionists will pay!”

  “What?” a No-Man’s-Lander cried, from the middle of the crowd. “I have nothing to do with any of this. I don’t want to take revenge on anyone!”

  Pockets of fighting broke out amongst those in the street. Splits were forming and Violet could see No-Man’s-Landers slipping out from the crowd to disappear inside their homes.

  Though the rain had stopped a while ago, the sky had darkened further, mirroring the mood.

  “We need to leave,” Rose spluttered, grabbing her daughter’s hand.

  “Everyone, calm down!” Edward Archer ordered. “I see fear and anger have taken hold in my absence. I hope my reappearance will allow your feelings to settle. Together we can create the place of peace and beauty envisioned by my brother George and I, many moons ago.”

  The dark clouds rumbled. People reached for their hoods and umbrellas.

  “Don’t hide your heads today,” Edward announced, “let the rains cleanse your worries, wipe away your fears and bring a bright new future.”

  Suddenly the clouds erupted, releasing a downpour.

  Edward walked out from under the canopy of the Town Hall, throwing his hands skywards. He was drenched within moments.

  The crowd followed suit. They removed their hoods and let down their umbrellas. Slowly, laughter filtered through the streets, as though Edward Archer had lifted a great weight from Town.

  Violet watched from her place under the canopy of the Town Hall, while Edward Archer stood in the rain, surrounded by happy well-wishers. She pulled on her dad’s sleeve, directing his attention, as she noticed Vincent Crooked grab hold of Boy.

  “Release George Archer from the clock tower and lock Boy in his place,” Vincent ordered a man standing beside him.

  “Hold on a minute, Crooked – you can’t release George, that’s a Committee decision,” Violet’s dad announced, stepping forward.

  “I’m on the Committee, Brown!”

  “It’s the whole Committee’s decision, Vincent. You can’t go off making decisions like this on your own. William is still missing. We haven’t even heard his side yet.”

  “William’s side? That man is clearly mad. Didn’t you hear a word Edward said?”

  “And what about Edward’s history? Are you going to just believe him without question, Vincent? William deserves to tell his own story. We need a Committee meeting – this has to be discussed, before any rash decisions are made.”

  “Maybe you’re not fit to sit on the Committee any more, Brown. Maybe we’ll discuss that. Your daughter was a No-Man’s-Lander, wasn’t she? Are you a sympathizer?”

  Eugene’s face was red and his fists were clenched. Violet had never seen him this angry before; he wasn’t the type of person who normally got cross.

  “Come on,” he said, yanking his daughter away. “We’re going home. Town is not the place it used to be.”

  Violet stumbled behind her dad, out from under the cover of the Town Hall.

  The downpour was so heavy she was soaked in minutes and should have been annoyed, but for some strange reason the rain made her smile. The weight of anger she’d been carrying lifted, and Violet found herself laughing.

  She spotted her mother a little down the street, swinging round a lamp post.

  “Violet, Eugene…isn’t life just beautiful?” she cried, laughing as the pair joined her. “I feel euphoric! Have I ever told you how much I love you both?”

  Rose was right. Everything was just beautiful. Violet felt light as a feather. All her worries disappeared, her mind was clear and she couldn’t understand why she’d ever been so angry.

  “I love you too, Mam,” she laughed, wrapping round Rose’s waist.

  “Oh, my two favourite girls,” her dad smiled, joining the family hug. His mood had lifted too!

  Happily squashed between her parents, Violet looked around the street. Everyone was smiling. All the anger and fear that had hung over Town had somehow disappeared.

  As the family walked towards home through the rainy streets full of joyous people, Violet began to wonder if perhaps Edward Archer’s
reappearance had brought this good mood back to Town. Maybe things would be better with him in charge again. Maybe Edward deserved a second chance?

  “What if Edward’s return is a good thing?” Rose said, as though plucking the thought straight from Violet’s mind.

  Eugene Brown kissed his wife’s forehead. “I don’t entirely agree, but I’m not sure I even care at this moment, Rose. Life is good, and I’m the luckiest man alive!”

  Violet’s dad whistled to himself as the rains eased and the family turned up their driveway.

  Suddenly Madeleine and Anna Nunn stepped out of the surrounding trees, their yellow raincoats like beacons in the grey afternoon light.

  “I’m so sorry to surprise you like this.” Madeleine hesitated, a wide smile sweeping her face. “It’s just… I know I look happy, and I do feel a huge weight has lifted off my shoulders, though I’m not quite sure what that weight was. But I am a little worried for Anna – at least, I know I should be, though I honestly can’t bring myself to worry. I know it sounds crazy. This is the only place I could think to come to for help.”

  “Of course, Madeleine.” Rose smiled. “Whatever is the matter, on this amazing evening?”

  “Well, Rose, as you all know, Anna was a No-Man’s-Lander – but I’m telling you she’s not mad. What Edward said is simply not true. If the Archers were indeed testing our imaginations for insanity, then Anna’s results must have gotten mixed up with someone else’s. There is nothing unhinged about my daughter.”

  “I know what you mean, Madeleine. Come in.” Eugene smiled, opening the door of their home. “I don’t believe Edward’s tales myself – in fact, I was very angry about it up until a while ago, but our walk home must have done me the world of good. I feel light as a feather. I don’t for a minute believe that William is unhinged or any of that stuff about the No-Man’s-Landers. I worked with Edward and George, and they are not good men. Though, just as you said, for some reason, I can’t quite bring myself to worry about it right now.”

  “But what about William’s syndrome, the Divided Soul stuff?” Rose asked, ringing out her wet hair.

  “It’s folklore, Rose, utter nonsense. Nothing scientific about it at all. I judge the person I know, not the stories I hear. The William Archer I know is not the person his brother described today, and neither is his son.”