The Meddler

by Donna Maria McCarthy

  ‘Creature! Who?’

  ‘I cannot name yet, Reuben, not here. Would not be right.’

  Everyone’s gaze followed Meddler.

  ‘I have not finished,’ he explained rather awkwardly. And so Harry took him by the hand into an anti- room. His father followed, but Reuben stayed and comforted Mrs Punch.

  ‘Come on then, you have something to say?’

  ‘Harry please, we cannot put faith in these psychic observations. They are party tricks – but Wakanda, if you have honest information, then I will hear it.’

  ‘He is more than that, father – I have seen it, and will hear him.’

  ‘Very well then, son, but please be mindful before you act.’

  ‘Wakanda?’

  ‘Sir, the girl Niam and Wilhelmina, are the two who have done this.’

  ‘And the dark one who watches, Meddler?’

  ‘The cousin,. But he has not laid a hand on Elspeth himself, in fact has only just learned of it. He has been pre-occupied, shall we say.’

  ‘I believe it!’

  Mr Punch slumped in a chair. ‘Harry, you will wait for me!’

  Meddler barred Harry’s way. ‘You cannot prove any of it! Least of all the cousin’s participation – if can be called that. Yes, he is enamoured, but what? What can you charge him with? Ah!’ He said as he realised. ‘You care not!’ And a smile spread across his face.

  Back in the parlour, Reuben, the doctor and the aggrieved Mrs Punch sat, waiting expectantly.

  ‘Mama, we avenge this day – and Reuben, you will come?’ Harry looked ashen.

  ‘You could not stop me!’ Red in the face and fire in his eyes, Reuben took Mrs Punch’s hand. ‘I promise you, lady, that this shall be set right.’

  You shall not tell me?’ she enquired of her husband.

  ‘I will bring you a trophy, my love.’

  She stiffened with pride and took her seat again by the doctor who announced he had heard nothing and for the party to tread quietly save waking a revenge on them.

  Reuben whispered to Meddler, ‘Coming back to you is it? When was you thinking of telling? Show off!’

  Meddler pursed his lips and blew him a kiss and followed Harry and his father outside, but not before Reuben could toe his rear and cuff him about the head – of course with love and perhaps a little pride.

  ‘I allowed it because you love me!’ Meddler looked over his shoulder and whistled, ‘My, you are changing!’

  ‘As are you, Creature, and thank you for sparing the time to tell me where we go and who we seek!’

  ‘But I have not, not yet!’

  Reuben was gone, and the others impatient, so little one put it aside to think on later.

  Chapter 15

  ‘Gentlemen,’

  Reuben thought to break the suffocating silence that followed our travellers and was with talk of fight! ‘We venture through dark lands to retrieve an honour. Be mindful of horrors you will see – and mind, they are not wholly human and you must not be convinced. And Meddler –’

  ‘You need not say, Reuben, I find I do have self-control!’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Well yes, just of late. I promise you this will be a sorry surprise for them all.’

  Wilhelmina had encouraged Elspeth to join with them, Meddler revealed under pressure, though it was just an excuse for committing the atrocities with the witch Niamh. All the while, the two fought over who would have the cousin, who he would chose; they had talked of owning a human, of the control – the power, and so evil were their words. A magic of sorts had happened, something bewitching . Wilhelmina was more than she seemed, Meddler warned, her poison was in some ways more lethal than Niamh’s, for she did not design herself to be a surprise.

  ‘I want her hair and nails back!’ he said blushing, and quickly putting it away in his velveteen bag with the others. ‘You see, they keep trophies.’

  Harry’s father patted his son’s back, who had grimaced at Meddler’s reveal. ‘She has taken a beating, Harry. Not so uncommon, but am as eager as any to right it.’

  The creepy old house that hid the two Witches soon appeared, and all its lavish decoration, precision and hedge trimming did nothing but highlight its deep, dark windows where curtains twitched and poison ivy crept.

  Before they knocked on the door, girlish laughter could be heard coming from the gardens and Harry headed straight for it. His father grabbed him. ‘Remember these are children, it is the nephew we seek.’

  Willy swung on a swing adorned with ribbons whilst Niamh, it would appear, clapped her on, though on closer inspection could be seen that she killed butterflies. As the party approached Willy checked her, ‘Niamh!’

  She wiped her soiled hands on her gown and spoke. ‘Oh? And how might we help you?’

  Willy piped up, ‘We do have a trade entrance you know!’

  Niamh could not hide her delight at the comment and Meddler, who hid behind Harry, walked straight up to her and high kicked her nose which burst with blood and she fell to the ground. ‘I learned that in China!’

  Wilhelmina screamed and Reuben, not wishing for more trouble, grabbed her and covered her mouth, ‘I will let you be, if you stop that screaming!’

  He took away his hand and let her go, she curtseyed and walked up to Meddler and spat at him. ‘And I learned that in church! Be gone you filthy creature of hell! Poor Niamh!’

  She knelt beside her cousin and patted her nose with her hem.

  ‘Get off me, you twit!’ Niamh lashed out at Willy who blushed and sat back, looking wildly around her.

  ‘You are the devils! Harry stood over them, not a small man and a face full of rage. ‘Your cousin? Where can we find him?’

  ‘Why? Why should we tell?’ They spoke in unison, and it was creepy to witness.

  ‘Ah, Meddler, you have something?’ Harry turned to face the little one who was tugging at his shirt tails.

  ‘Harry, gentlemen, our work here is done!’ He grabbed a bag from Niamh who clawed at him,

  ‘Filthy creature! You will get yours!’

  ‘And yet, I thought you more Niamh. But you are not, and no, I shall not get mine!’

  ‘Oh but, Creature, your first thoughts were right! I am all that you thought and you shall suffer loss, you shall suffer that pain.’

  Meddler blushed, disregarding her comment. ‘Come, gentlemen I have all the information we need.’

  The horrid ghastly bag did indeed contain Elspeth’s hair and nails. Harry took them from Meddler and said that it would truly cheer her and bring her back to them.

  Meddler enjoyed trampling the flowers and tipping the pots as they left, but that was the child in him and none of the others found satisfaction in it; more still they hurried, but to what?

  ‘You know where he is?’ Harry’s father was confused, but would have believed anything after such a time.

  ‘Yes Sir! To the graveyard!’

  Was not a five-minute walk to the thickly wooded cemetery, and a decision was made to encircle it to corral the nephew.

  An old wrought iron gate hung off its hinges where the trees were even denser and rooted in bracken. Once a sacred place for thought and contemplation, it was now dark and foreboding; as dark as midnight on a moonless night. The thorns tore at their clothes and flesh, seeming to close in behind them as further and further they ventured, and darker and darker it became. Harry stopped and hushed them all, hardly breathing. Rustling came from beyond, as though something was being dragged – something heavy. As carefully as they could, they navigated a path, and none dared breathe. A dark figure, the cousin, was hiding something amongst the bracken with leaves and fallen branches. He cursed and swore each time another thorn tore at him and lashed out as though it breathed. What could be so important?

  He screamed, holding his face as the hawthorn lashed back.

  ‘Sir!’

  He fell back, further entangled, shocked by the sight of the four. ‘Facking idiots! What do you want? Is private land t
his!’

  ‘But it is not yours,’ Harry’s father spoke, breathing deeply, his fists clenched.

  ‘No! But my aunt’s, you old fool! Now clear off the lot of you!’

  Meddler was inspecting closer what Seth had in earnest, tried to hide. The nephew kicked him. ‘Fack off, nosey! Lord! What are you?’ He kicked him again. Harry stepped forward and grabbed the boy by the collar. ‘Just you keep your hands to yourself!’ He pushed him back amongst the thorn.

  ‘You facking idiot!’ he screamed again, more and more entangled and enraged, ‘I will see you all before the beak for this!’

  ‘But what is it though? What do you work so fervently to hide? Harry turned over some branches with his foot. ‘Dead birds? Why hide them?’ A rooster’s spur fell out from a canvas, ‘Must be a mighty few? Such a big bag for a few chickens.’

  ‘They have all got eye wart! And we don’t want it spreading.’

  ‘Well I have eaten birds with eye wart before. Have you Harry?’ Reuben remarked, pulling one from the bag, ‘And I am sure most have – and do! Just makes an ugly bird is all.’

  ‘Well you would, you old fool – you’re just a peasant! Gyppo, aren’t ya? Eat your own mother’s nipple if it rotted off!’

  ‘Dear oh dear, seems you have no idea why we are here, else you would be grovelling!’ Reuben flexed his hands as though they would throttle.

  Seth looked for escape as Harry picked up a hefty branch.

  ‘No, I ain’t got an idea! I have done nowt!’

  Harry’s father touched Meddler’s arm. ‘You sure?’

  ‘Oh never more so – he is as guilty as Witches.’

  ‘No need for this though, ay?’ Seth cried as Harry taunted him with the makeshift club, then threw it to the ground.

  ‘For my little sister!’ Harry swiped him violently across the face, pushing him further into the thorny trap. ‘For my mother’s pain!’ He kicked Seth’s guts with a sickening thud. ‘For my father’s anguish!’ He picked up the boy’s head and slammed it to the ground.

  ‘And for kicking me!’ Meddler poked his eye with a sharp stick, drawing blood and then spat on him.

  Seth cried and struggled to hold his face as the bramble took hold with each twist.

  ‘Is not enough, surely?’ Reuben taunted. ‘Let me try. I have a mind, I find, for torture!’

  Harry stood aside.

  ‘Filthy cur! Dregs of the earth, both you and your family! Nurse the kittens don’t you? Well I have news for you – they turn on you and tire of your poison. Is always the way, is it not, Creature?’

  ‘Oh for sure, Reuben! And they are far more powerful without you. You do not have the lack of care that they possess, which comes with their young age. Leave it to them so you do, for fear of capture, and you encourage them. You see, they are not so young that they cannot see your weakness and conspire about you. This very day they mock you for what you have done under their instruction, and inside you fear they might turn on you. Hit her too hard, didn’t you? She refused you, whilst the two witches sniggered at your attempt. Post mortem injuries were inflicted by the Witches, as they whispered and laughed at your shock.’

  Meddler’s private conversation with Seth confused the others, and wishing for the grand reveal, little one kept quiet for now. Reuben grabbed the blooded face of Seth and pushed it further into the thorn.

  The boy screamed at the pain. ‘I will go blind!’

  ‘That’s the wish.’

  Harry’s father pulled Reuben back. ‘After all, was but a beating she took and she will recover, poor lamb. But as for you, well what a mess you have made of yourself.’ He pointed out that Seth had wet himself with fear, which quite rounded off the four’s enjoyment.

  ‘Chickens?’ A hand flopped out from where Meddler poked around. ‘You see, I knew it was not chickens, long, long before. I think you will find this is Sarah, the baker’s girl, gentlemen.’

  All three went white and Reuben restrained Harry, who grabbed at the monster’s throat. ‘He’s not going anywhere Harry.’

  Reuben knelt with sadness and respect beside the poor wee lamb as Meddler uncovered her face. ‘Such a pity this is.’ He stroked her face. ‘Was the Baker’s fetch and carrier. Hasn’t been seen for a few days and was thought she had left with the fair. Was a whisper she had found a beau there.’

  Harry’s father pulled her from her grave as gently as he could.

  ‘Oh, you will hang now!’ Harry was unable to bring himself to look at the cowering wretch, undone.

  ‘ We have to!’ Meddler screamed then composed himself. ‘We have to hang him!’

  ‘What you mean, Creature? You see something?’

  He beckoned Reuben and the others, frustrated that they did not seem to understand him muttering under his breath, that for sure it was the trauma of the event, and not that his power failed him.

  ‘You see?’ He tried once more then flushed and continued, ‘I see, I do see now, that we must. Let me make sense of this. If we inform the authorities, basically they will believe him innocent. He has his aunt and this is her land and the two witches have our visit on us. We were seen, so no escaping this. Why could I not foretell? ‘

  ‘Come now, Creature, there is more?’ Reuben stared him in the face.

  ‘You, Reuben, you will get the lash and you, Harry, you will hang! You must listen to me!’

  Reuben took the rope that was about the girl, making a knot and finding a sturdy bow.

  ‘No! Stop this, please!’ The old man stood in front of the vile cousin, who grovelled and pleaded with Harry’s father.

  ‘I am a respected man!’

  ‘Not so, Sir, not of late.’

  Meddler took a blush from his bag and patted it to his cheek, ‘Begging your pardon, Sir, but oh, I still sees tragedy for you Reuben.’

  ‘Meddler!’ Reuben bellowed. ‘Please, more clarity?’

  ‘No, no, this shall work, and I shall have to think more on this.’

  Reuben seeing he was a little confused, softened, ‘You see, there is more to life than even you can encompass, ay Creature?’

  Harry took his father’s hand. ‘Sir, you must believe Wakanda, he has the sight. I have witnessed such magic from him and I am not the type to fantasise, you know this. He did bring us here, did he not, dear father? Is this not proof?’

  The old man looked at the vermin, entangled and gaunt with fear, unable to struggle –

  then stared him in the face. ‘Very well, we shall hang him.’

  ‘Shut him up!’ Meddler yelled.

  Seth’s screams were piercing and would bring them undone if they continued.

  ‘Lord, let me get this right! We shall be visited? No wait! Shall be discovered forthwith by –’ But before he could finish, Harry spied Bell Baker.

  ‘So here I find four souls wronged and resigned, and the filthy perpetrator, whom thorn has entwined!’

  ‘If I can explain?’ Harry raised his hand.

  ‘Oh, I have learned as much this morning, as I need know – but this…’ His face was ashen as he looked upon poor Sarah. ‘And you would exact justice? Here?’ He inspected their work, and the gibbet. ‘His screaming, you see,’ he winked at Meddler, ‘I have a sermon this morning, by Christ! Blamed it on the foxes and cut it short, of which I am not fond of doing! Right in the middle of a story I had invented about thieves that steal bad fortune, you see? For a theft can bring a community closer and therefore there is room for most in my congregation. Most I say.’ He prodded their prisoner. ‘What say you, man? You see, I have seen worse and justice is justice – with or without a wig.’

  The Devil’s eyes was all the response that was needed. Bell Baker stood back. ‘I shall not pray over you, there is no point.’

  Reuben and Harry dragged Seth to the makeshift scaffold and slung the noose roughly about his neck. He shook violently.

  ‘So, we watch?’ Harry’s father asked Bell Baker, who hushed him.

  ‘I pray for our souls,’ he remarked,
drolly, ‘and no, there is no need to watch. I do, as is the Lords will – but the rest of you?’

  ‘I shall,’ said Harry bravely, standing beside Bell Baker.

  ‘And I!’ Meddler enthused, feeling none of the trepidation that the others did.

  ‘I shall fall in with you, Mr Punch, if is ok?’ Reuben looked a little shaken. ‘I care not to watch, for superstition makes me fearful that I become a little like the beast if I do.’

  ‘You think you will not hear the bow twitch and strain, and his struggle? Surely, if I was a blind man, I could be absolved of such sins then?’ Bell Baker marked the irony with succinct words and continued, ‘Friends, I would not be so sure you save yourselves the horror.’

  ‘I must apologise, Reverend. I did not mean to insult your resolve.’

  ‘Thank you, Reuben – most attentive, but you did not! I simply enjoy preaching, is my profession after all.’

  Then without warning, Reuben let go quickly and though his intention had been to look away he found he could not. Truth is, not one of these crusaders could move – bound by the macabre scene playing out. And was as though they witnessed as one.

  ‘Forgive me, Lord!’ Bell Baker stepped forward. ‘But I am merciful as you!’ And he delivered Seth Proctor Forsythe unto where ever he was bound, swiftly pulling his writhing body down with all his weight. Only a look passed between him and this poisoned wretch, a look that, though desperate and terrified, was of a man saved by justice being done. Of a man who clung to a cliff face with only Bell Baker there to save him and whose faith was strong and took the Devil’s soul, casting it before a jury…. one last chance at redemption perhaps, one last chance to explain.

  ‘Is why!’ he announced to the shocked party, ‘I am of the cloth.’ And said no more, striding through the thicket to where he would pray to the Lord. That though he be a warrior in His name, he never faltered through vanity in knowing more than others, in having the strength to save souls – as well as deliver us from them.

  They would meet again on the battlefield, this hardened few, paths and fates now irrevocably joined; where one would deliver and one would fight, two would lose faith and a shadow fall on our little light.