The Trouble with Perfect

by Helena Duggan

  Macula stood up and paced the floor, just as was her husband’s habit. Boy used to do it too – it helped him get ideas, he’d said. Violet tried not to think about him, as everyone in the room slipped into an uncomfortable silence.

  Then Boy’s mother sat back down. Her brow furrowed.

  “I don’t think Tom is a bad child – he can’t be, it’s not in his blood,” she said. “Did you speak to him, Violet? I think this woman must be making him do bad things. Do you think she loves him? Do you think she treats him like a son?”

  “She, erm…” Violet wasn’t sure how to respond. “She didn’t really talk to him like she loved him.”

  “She didn’t seem to really like him at all, if you ask me,” Anna stated.

  “If I thought she took care of him, if I thought he had a family that loved him – even if they weren’t his real family – I would be okay with that. All I want for my children is for them to be happy. But his actions…they are not the actions of someone who is happy, of someone who is loved.” Macula had tears in her eyes. “If I ever meet that women, I’ll…I’ll…”

  She stood up and paced the floor again.

  “Maybe if I could talk to Tom, I could tell him he has a real family who love him. Maybe he’d even help us then. You said he’s staying in the emporium with George and Edward?”

  “I don’t think you should go to him,” Violet said anxiously. “We can’t let the Archers know that we know any of this, and we can’t trust Tom.”

  Macula looked down at her hands.

  “I know he’s your son,” Violet continued, afraid she’d upset her, “and I don’t think he’s bad either, not really anyway…” She hesitated for a moment. “Tom didn’t kidnap me when he was supposed to – the nurse told him off for that. And in the graveyard, he saw me and Anna hiding and he didn’t give us away. He could have, easily. He has a bird too, it’s his pet. I don’t think someone who cares for animals could be bad.”

  “Thank you, Violet.” Macula half-smiled. “It’s nice to hear those things about him. Maybe you’re right, but maybe we can’t trust him just now.”

  “Can we see the letter from Nurse Powick?” Violet asked, feeling braver. “Maybe there’s something in it that might help us find her. We know she’s working with the Archers, so if we find her, then maybe we’ll find Boy.”

  Boy’s mother hesitated before walking to a pale-blue painted cupboard on the far side of the room. She pulled out a pile of letters from the drawer, tied neatly together by brown twine. Then she sat back down and undid the bundle.

  A letter fell open on the table in front of Violet. Curious, she leaned forward and started to read it.

  Dear Boys,

  I dreamed about you again last night, you were so happy. I truly hope I’m somehow seeing what you see, and that you are both strong and well…

  “You can’t read that, Violet!” Anna said sternly. “It’s not your letter.”

  Violet blushed, and folded the piece of paper back up.

  “It’s okay, Anna.” Macula smiled. “Violet’s seen some of these notes before.”

  “I thought it was strange that they all started with ‘Dear Boys’,” Violet whispered, remembering. “There were piles of them in your room in the estate. There’s a letter there still – I found it when we were looking for Conor.”

  “There is? I must have dropped it when I was leaving,” Macula answered. “I’ve written thousands, all to my boys.”

  “I thought you meant William and Boy,” Violet replied.

  “I kept William in my heart and round my neck.” Boy’s mam thumbed a beautiful gold locket inset with green stones, just as she had done when she’d first met Violet in the Ghost Estate. It was the locket William had given her. The same one that, when Violet mentioned it, persuaded him to join the fight against Perfect again.

  “Found it!” she cried a short while later. “Priscilla Powick wrote to me a little while after Perfect fell and I returned to this house to live with William and Boy. I’m not sure there is anything in here to help, though, Violet. She just goes on with the same nonsense Edward spouted from the steps of the Town Hall today.”

  Boy’s mother opened the pristine pink paper.

  “I can’t bear to look at that woman’s words again. Would one of you mind?” She handed the letter across the table.

  Violet took it and began to read aloud.

  Dear Mrs Macula Archer,

  I’m writing to you as a concerned citizen.

  I’ve recently discovered that your son, Boy, is the heir of William Archer, a renowned Divided Soul. As you will well know, Boy has a twin brother and, through no ill-gotten means, I own his other half. For your references, I called him Tom.

  It is a much known fact that if a Divided Soul, such as your husband, has twin offspring, the curse of the Divided Soul is split in half and each twin reaps separate otherworldly powers of good and evil. In short, one twin will be bad and the other good.

  Tom, as you know, has white-blue eyes. He is an angelic child and his gift clearly governs all that is good. However, this of course means that Boy, the twin in your possession, has powers to master all that is dark and evil.

  I’m writing, as a concerned individual, to warn you that soon Boy will be coming of age, and I’m sure is already showing signs of the curse. Watch out for dark acts or he might just terminate you in your sleep.

  Yours with the warmest of wishes and regards,

  Priscilla Powick

  PS Early signs of the curse may include dabbling in thievery, lying, running away, etc.

  “What a weird letter,” Violet remarked.

  Macula nodded. “I know. I thought so too. I just wish I knew why she took my son. Though, she is quite obviously mad.”

  “Maybe she wanted a baby,” Anna said, “and she liked Tom, so she took him for herself. But she didn’t talk to him like she liked him, did she, Violet? There’s a boy in my class and his mother never talks to him like she likes him, either. Mam said she’s just a very busy mammy and that makes her cross, so maybe the nurse is just very busy?”

  “Maybe, Anna.” Macula’s face lightened as she pulled the little girl onto her knee and wrapped her tight.

  “Will we get my mam back?” Anna whispered, her voice cracking a little.

  “In no time, Anna, I promise.” Macula kissed the top of the blonde girl’s head.

  “But why would Powick write all that about Boy and the Divided Soul stuff?” Violet asked. “Dad says it’s only folklore, and not true.”

  “All I can think is, for some reason, that woman wanted to turn me against my own son. It worked a little – when Boy’s name was first connected to the kidnappings, I did wonder if it was all true, somehow. My mind was a muddle. I will feel forever guilty about that.”

  “Edward talked about the Divided Soul thing at the Town Hall,” Jack piped up.

  “Yes, and he told a story of how William murdered his own father. I heard it,” Macula replied angrily. “It was all lies, of course. Because Priscilla talked about the Divided Soul in her letter too, I thought there had to be a link between herself and Edward, and now you’re telling me there is—”

  “But how did the nurse meet Edward, and why would she help the Archers?” Violet interrupted.

  “Maybe Edward found out about Boy’s twin, somehow, and thought he’d be good for their plans to get back Perfect,” Anna said, getting excited again. “So he found the nurse and asked her if they could borrow Tom?”

  “Something like that had crossed my mind, Anna.” Macula leaned her chin on the little girl’s head. “I suspect she’s probably being paid.”

  “But what exactly is a Divided Soul?” Jack asked, looking a little confused. “I never heard of it until today.”

  “I have heard of it,” Macula almost whispered. “Only once before.”

  The woman fell silent and the three children waited for her to speak again.

  “Other than William, I haven’t told anyone else
this story. I think I tried to forget about it – the whole thing still gives me chills. It happened years ago, when I was living in Perfect. The Archers had made me believe William had died about eight months previously. I’d just had the twins a short while. I kept my pregnancy a secret from everybody except Iris, who helped me. If Edward and George found out about them, I knew they’d go after my boys, just like they did my husband.

  “Late one night, a man called at the door. He seemed friendly, and said he was lost and needed to use a phone to ring his family. I put him off and tried to close the door, but he pushed past me and came inside. Then he demanded to see my twins.”

  Violet gasped. “How did he know about them?”

  “He said he’d been watching me closely.” Macula’s face was white. “I was petrified. I’d never seen this man before, and all I could think of was how to protect my sons. The boys were asleep in their cot in the sitting room. I was afraid he’d harm them, but he just stared, smiling strangely. It terrified me. He said he knew they were children of a Divided Soul and that he suspected they were special, but that it would be apparent soon. He said he’d keep my secret safe, but would visit again. Then he left.”

  “What did you do?” Anna asked, her eyes wide.

  “I knew at this stage what the Archers were up to with Perfect. I’d found the round glasses in their shop and discovered their secret No-Man’s-Land, so I’d been planning on leaving the boys at the orphanage anyway. I was delaying it, as I couldn’t bring myself to let them go. But after this man’s visit, I wrapped up the boys and snuck into No-Man’s-Land late that very night. I left them at the door with the glasses and my note, and watched, hidden, as they were taken in.

  “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. The next morning I gave myself up to the Archer brothers. I didn’t tell Iris or even say goodbye. I thought she’d be safest if she knew nothing. I’ve never heard of a Divided Soul since, until Priscilla Powick’s letter and then from Edward today.”

  “Who was the man?” Violet asked.

  “I don’t know anything about him, Violet, and I don’t care to know. He wasn’t a nice individual.” Macula closed her eyes.

  “Why do Edward and George hate William so much?” Anna asked innocently. “I don’t like my sister sometimes, but I’d never act like they do.”

  “I never understood why they hated him, but Iris says they’ve been the same since childhood.” Macula sighed, shaking her head.

  “Iris told me it’s because she protected William when he was young, and the twins thought that she loved him more than them,” Violet replied. “She never told me why she had to protect William, though.”

  “She wouldn’t tell me either, Violet. I have asked, but she skirts round the question. That woman’s a well of secrets. I’m not sure we’ll ever figure Iris Archer out.”

  “Would Iris be able to help us find Boy?” Jack asked.

  “She doesn’t know any more than I do. She helped me when I tried to question Tom today, as Edward paraded him through Town pretending he was Boy.”

  “I heard you,” Violet remembered. “Tom said something like ‘You’ll never find him’. That means he must know where Boy is. Both Powick and Edward told Tom, at different times, to go back to a place called the Outskirts. Maybe that’s where they have Boy?”

  “I’ve never even heard of the Outskirts before,” Macula replied.

  “I think you get there by going through a tomb in the graveyard,” Anna said excitedly. “We saw it open up and Boy – I mean Tom – walked down steps into the ground. Remember, Violet?”

  “Yes.” Violet nodded. “We tried to open it again after they’d all disappeared, but we couldn’t.”

  “It’s possible. There are lots of those tunnels all over Town,” Macula said. “I remember playing with William in the one beneath the Archers’ Emporium when we were kids. Iris owned the shop back then, and whenever she was working we’d pretend we were looking for hidden treasure. We tried to find more tunnels, but we never did, though there are rumours that many more tunnels exist.”

  “Let’s go there now then,” Jack said, jumping up.

  “Don’t you listen, Jack? We don’t know how to open it,” Anna stated.

  “We’ll figure it out. It’s the only idea we have so far.”

  “Jack’s right.” Violet stood up too. “We’re wasting time talking.”

  “Okay,” Macula said. “I’m coming with you.”

  “But kids are way better at sneaking around than adults. Adults are slow,” Anna replied.

  “I won’t let you go off on your own in the middle of the night.” Macula shook her head. “A mother’s instincts are to protect. I won’t slow you down. Just let me change my clothes.”

  Violet looked at Jack and Anna as Boy’s mam left the room.

  “I don’t think Macula should come. What if we meet the nurse?” she whispered. “You saw how Macula was when she talked about Powick. We can’t risk something going wrong. If anything happens, the Archers will know that we know their plans, and then we may never find Boy.”

  “I agree with Violet,” Jack said, looking straight at Anna.

  “Why are you looking at me?” the little girl protested.

  “Because you have to distract her while we sneak out.”

  “Why do I always have to stay behind?” Anna half-cried.

  “Because you’re the best at it. Just say you need to go to the toilet, like you used to do to the nurses in the orphanage.”

  “Yeah, but that only worked when I was small, Jack. I can go to the toilet by myself now!”

  “Please, Anna, you’ll think of something,” Violet said, looking anxiously back at the door. “For Boy. He really needs your help.”

  “Okay.” Anna sighed heavily. “But next time I’m coming with you.”

  The little girl turned and walked out of the room in a huff, as Jack and Violet slipped from the house and disappeared out into the dead of night.

  Following behind Jack to the pillars of the Ghost Estate, Violet shivered, unsure if it was the cold or the effects of the falling rain which made her teeth chatter.

  “We have to be careful going through here,” she whispered. “Tom could be about. Watch out for a black raven, it might mean he’s near.”

  “I am being careful,” Jack snapped, glaring back at her while he passed through the entrance.

  “Don’t snap at me,” Violet replied angrily, as they slipped round the green.

  Jack stopped for a moment at the bottom of the hill leading up to the graveyard.

  “I’m sorry.” He sighed, curling his fingers into tight, shaking fists. “I know it’s the rain, but I feel like I’m about to explode.”

  “It’s…it’s okay,” Violet stuttered, fighting her own thoughts. “I feel it too, Jack. Just keep reminding yourself it’s not real. When we get down into the tomb, out of the rain, it should be easier.”

  He nodded and, without uttering another word, the pair climbed the hill and pushed through the creaking turnstile into the graveyard.

  “Look, Jack,” Violet whispered, pointing to a stream of thick white vapour billowing from a grave a short distance away. “That’s the tomb I fell into, the one with the pipe that leads to the white room. The mist blows up into the sky and forms the mind-controlling clouds. See?”

  Jack nodded. “Is that where the passage we’re looking for is too?” he asked.

  “No.” Violet shook her head as she snuck up the weed-ridden path, finding her way by memory.

  Gingerly she passed by broken crosses and overgrown graves in the darkness, until she stopped beside the tomb she’d seen Tom and the others disappear into.

  “The tunnel to the Outskirts has got to be in here,” she said, looking back at Jack. “We just need to figure out how to open it.”

  The tomb looked like a large rectangular stone box. The pair walked around it searching for clues. Violet was bent down studying its surface, when Jack laughed.

  She
looked up nervously – laughter didn’t sound right in the graveyard.

  “Jack, where are you?” she whispered, unable to see him.

  “Here!” he said, popping up from the other side of the tomb.

  Violet gasped and stumbled back.

  “Don’t do that, Jack!” she snapped.

  “Come here, look at this,” he said, ducking back down.

  Violet picked herself off the ground and walked around to the other side. Jack was sitting on his heels and seemed to be reading a poem carved into the stone tomb.

  “O FORTUNE, CRUELLEST OF HEAVENLY POWERS, WHY MAKE SUCH GAME OF THIS CRUEL LIFE OF OURS?”

  Quintus Horatius Flaccus

  “What a name,” Violet mocked. “I’d kill Mam and Dad if they called me anything like Horatius Flaccus!”

  “It’s Horace,” Jack replied, “he was a Roman poet.”

  “Horace?” Violet joked. “That’s even worse. Anyway, how do you know that, Jack, are you a brainbox or something?”

  “There were lots of old books in the orphanage, and I read them all. I really like his writing.”

  Jack was so different to Boy.

  “Oh right,” Violet replied, unsure how to respond. “Does he write adventure stories? I love a good adventure.”

  “He was a Roman poet, Violet,” Jack answered, a little impatiently.

  “Well, I love poems too,” she said sternly, annoyed at Jack’s tone. “He must be good, ‘powers’ and ‘ours’ rhyme – not all poets are good enough to make poems rhyme, you know.”

  “Anyway,” Jack said, ignoring Violet’s response, “look at the word ‘game’. It’s different to the others. All the rest of the words are carved into the stone, but game is sticking out. I think maybe if I—”

  Jack pushed gently on the word as he spoke. There was a faint click, and the small rectangle of stone holding the letters G, A, M and E, moved backwards into the tomb wall.

  The air was filled with a familiar scraping noise. Violet and Jack watched, open-mouthed, as the front panel of the rectangular tomb moved down, revealing steps leading into the ground.