Iris Archer held her son for what seemed like an eternity at the front door of her home. The others watched the roads nervously hoping the Watchers would not patrol by.
“Mam,” William said, eventually stepping back from her hold, “we need your help!”
“Oh I knew something was brewing William,” Iris Archer smiled, inviting in her ragged guests.
Surprisingly she greeted all by name. Maybe Iris wasn’t as mad as everyone said.
“I knew you’d do something Violet,” Iris said pouring her a cup of boiling water, “I saw it in your eyes, you have a touch of mischief about you.”
Violet smiled, taking the comment as a compliment.
“I want to thank all of you,” the old woman said grabbing her son’s hand, “for bringing William back to me.”
“I’m so sorry Mam,” William said still shaken, “I should have come to see you but I couldn’t…”
“I know,” Iris said softly.
The room fell into a somber silence.
“I knew you’d come back,” she spoke again after a while, “you have the fight. A spirit can be dulled but it never fully dies.”
“They have Macula,” William said, “I thought she was dead. Then I thought I was dead. I couldn’t bear to try and be happy again so I gave up the fight. I’m so sorry Mam I should have come to you. I just thought it’d be better for you if I stayed away.”
“It’s okay William, you’re back now. That’s all that matters.”
Iris took a sip from her cup and looked out past the faces gathered at her table into a place only she could go. A few moments later she spoke.
“So they took Macula as well, I wondered about that? They robbed my life from me- those terrible two. I saw a little of it in them when they were young, they took after their father but who can predict this of their sons?”
She looked down at her hands clasped tightly round the mug.
“It’s my fault William. Georgie and Edward are all my fault.”
“We can stop them Mam. That’s why we’re here. We can change Perfect, we can take back our town,” William said standing up to pull the blanket from the Reimaginator, “George and Edward have been robbing imaginations Mam. This will give them back.”
Iris stood up and walked slowly around the machine. She asked questions of her son, questions impossible to understand, it was easy to see where the Archers got their brains.
“I used to think she was a bit loony,” Violet whispered across to Boy.
“You get away with a lot when people think you’re mad Violet,” Iris smiled.
Boy laughed as Violet blushed. After Iris had inspected the machine and asked a few more questions of her son, they began to fill her in on their plans.
“We have Billy Bobbin’s and Madeleine Nunn’s imaginations here,” Boy said, passing the jars over to Iris to inspect them, “we think they live on this street.”
“I live two doors up. Well I mean my Mam does…I used too…” one of the orphans said stepping forward.
“I remember you pet,” Iris replied, taking the little girl onto her knee, “Anna Nunn, I think they took you about a year ago?”
The girl nodded and began to cry.
“We think their families will be able to see them now,” Violet interrupted, “we put William’s potion into the tea so nobody in Perfect should be blind anymore. They won’t fully recognise No Mans Landers though until we give them back their imaginations.”
“Then Mam will know me; you promised,” Anna said, looking straight at Boy.
“We want you to bring Madeleine and Billy here,” William said to Iris, “once we get them here we can zap them with the Reimaginator. They’ll recognise their children then, they'll believe us and…”
“Join the revolution,” Iris smiled.
“Exactly,” William replied, “then we’ll get them to get others and slowly we’ll build an army.”
“I’ll try my best,” Iris said, “but I’m considered mad around here. I haven’t spoken to either of them in as long as I can remember and I can’t see how they’ll follow me.”
“Tell them that Edward and George want to meet them,” Boy said suddenly, “I bet they’ll come here for that, everybody loves them.”
“I’m really not sure they’ll believe me Boy.”
“They believe anything you tell them in Perfect.”
“You have a point,” Iris laughed lifting the little girl from her knee and walking towards the door, “No time like the present. Well take your positions. I’ll be back in a jiffy.”
There was a sudden scramble from seats. William and Merrill lifted the Reimaginator so it sat center in the room. Boy and Violet took the jars off the table and gently lifting the lids, eased the contents into the glass box in the middle of William’s machine. The imaginations floated through the space mixing together.
“Won’t they get mixed up?” Violet asked, pulling on William’s shirtsleeve.
“No Violet,” William smiled, pointing at the glass, “Look. No two people think alike.”
The imaginations had now settled one on top of the other, like oil and water.
Suddenly there were voices in the street outside.
“Really they want to speak to us?” a man said, obviously delighted.
“I knew Edward loved my Victoria sponge at the children’s cake sale. I saw it on his face. He won’t mind me calling him Edward will he, now that we’re friends?”
“No of course not Madeleine,” Iris replied.
“How is my hair Billy?” Madeleine asked, as Iris turned the key in the lock.
“Perfect Madeleine,” Billy replied, following behind the pruned woman into the house, “oh you have guests Iris.”
“Oh yes…they are…”
“Daddy…” one of the orphans cried. running towards Billy.
Boy quickly grabbed his shirt pulling him back and held tightly to the struggling seven year old.
“We’re em…Iris’s cousins,” William said, quickly covering the scene.
“Oh how nice,” Madeline replied, eyeing the struggle, “where are you visiting from?”
“Timbuktu,” Violet piped up.
“Oh I’ve heard it’s lovely,” Billy smiled.
“Would anyone like tea?” Iris asked, pushing the kettle button.
“Oh I’d love some Iris,” Madeleine replied, “Ours just isn’t tasting the same lately.
Boy winked at Violet.
“So where are the twins?” Billy asked, breaking an awkward silence.
“Oh they…em they’re upstairs. They’ll be down in a minute,” William responded. “While we wait, would you mind terribly if we took a family portrait? It’s for our holiday snaps, the kids are growing up so quickly.”
“Of course,” Madeline replied, “I know what that’s like. My oldest is almost seven.”
“No I’m not I’m eight,” Anna sniffled in the corner.
“Oh you’re just a little older than mine then,” Madeleine smiled.
“Okay, Billy you sit here and Madeleine you here,” William said, placing the chairs just in front of the Reimaginator.
“But we’re not part of your family?” Billy replied.
“Oh you are, we’re all cousins,” Violet smiled.
“But I’ve never been to Timbuktu,” Madeline said taking a seat in front of the machine.
“Yes you have,” Violet continued, “don’t you remember, we went for a swim with the turtles and you said you thought they were lovely and then we went for a drive on the beach and we saw this giant elephant and he…”
Boy gave Violet a look that stopped her sudden rant.
“Oh maybe I do remember…” Madeleine said, looking curiously at Violet, “the turtles were lovely… I think. I do love turtles.”
“So do I,” Violet smiled, “See, we are cousins.”
“That’s a funny looking camera,” Billy said.
“It’s the latest thing,” Boy replied, “Everyone has them in
Timbuktu!”
“Right,” William said, loudly bringing silence to the room, “Everybody say cheese.”
He pulled the cord on the Reimaginator and the machine sprang to life. Each of the lungs on the side, the bits that looked like bagpipes, moved in and out, inflating and deflating at huge speeds. Suddenly the two imaginations were sucked up into separate pipes leaving the glass centre empty. The machine pulled in it’s sides and, with an almighty noise like a huge sneeze, it spat out the imaginations. The greenish one flew for Billy Bobbins and the brownish one for Madeleine Nunn. The pair sat frozen. Their faces registered terror, as the separate strains of gas flew up their nostrils.
Immediately, their eyes shut and their heads fell forward. Billy slipped right down onto the floor while Madeleine slumped to the side resting against the table. Though the pair looked dead, William remained calm, a huge smile rested firmly on his face. Suddenly, each body started to rattle and before anyone knew what was happening they began to snore. It was louder than Violet’s Dad and he had the loudest snore ever.
“What’s happening?” Violet asked William.
“They’re just re-adjusting. The imagination is at its strongest when we’re asleep. That’s why dreams are so real. They need to be asleep so they can reboot. It’s a wondrous thing: the human body.”
As quickly as the snoring had started it stopped and both Billy and Madeleine slowly opened their eyes.
“Where am I?” Madeleine asked sitting upright, “What happened?”
“Mam,” Anna said jumping from her seat and running to her mother’s side.
“Anna?” Anna is that you?” Madeleine cried, wrapping the little girl up in her arms, “I thought, I thought…I don’t know what I thought…”
Billy’s son threw himself onto his father’s groggy body and both cried as they embraced.
After a while William helped Billy from the floor and everyone came together round the kitchen table. Both Madeleine and Billy had a world of questions. Their anger was obvious and they didn’t take much convincing to agree to the plan.
As the sun was coming up over the town both Billy and Madeleine left the house. They headed for Perfect to round up four specific friends. Boy and Violet left too but they headed for No Mans Land where they were to pick up four more orphans and their jars of imagination.
CHAPTER 32
The Give Away
It was another gloriously sunny day in Perfect. The Watchers were relaxed as, except for a handful of disruptive youngsters, not a soul from No Mans Land tried to enter the town. The Archers were happy too; the tills were overflowing as an unusual amount of customers looked to have their glasses repaired.
“People are getting very clumsy lately,” George Archer remarked, fixing yet another cracked lens “must have a word to the Watchers. We don’t want to mush people’s brains altogether.”
Their customers were unusually chatty that day and, distracted by small talk, the brothers didn’t venture into their storeroom at all. Had they managed a trip they would have been shocked by the shelves that now hung bare. Regular trips led by either Boy or Violet meant that all imaginations now rested under the stairs of Iris Archer’s hovelled home. By six that evening as Edward and George literally pushed their last customer out the door, a crowd had gathered in Iris’s. A crowd that was about to change the face of Perfect forever.
“Who do I get next?” Madeleine Nunn, asked walking back to the door.
“These ones,” Boy said, handing her a list of seven names he’d just taken from the top of the jars.
“I’m not sure Boy. Seven is a lot. I don’t want to cause suspicion.”
“You won’t,” William replied, pouring more jars into the Reimaginator, “We have to change as many people as quickly as possible, before my brothers discover the empty storeroom. The Reimaginator can take seven at a time, so I think that’s what we should do.”
“Ok, if you’re sure,” Madeleine said nervously exiting the house.
A few minutes gone by and Violet was stacking jars under Iris’s table when Madeleine sprinted back past the window.
“I em…I was nearly caught,” she cried, bursting in through the door to the tightly packed house, “I’m so sorry I forgot the rules. I nodded at the Watchers.”
“You what?” William said, standing up from his seat.
“I’m so sorry William. I was nervous about bringing that many people back. I completely forgot I wasn’t meant to see them!”
“Slow down Madeleine, what exactly happened?” William asked, pulling out a chair for her.
“Well I was walking into Perfect just past the group of Watchers. They were playing cards you see…”
“And,” William said, trying to speed up the story.
“And well, I was just minding my own business when one of them looked up at me. I caught his eye and trying to hide my nerves, I nodded. I don’t know why I did it. I’m so sorry.”
“Did he say anything?” Violet asked, from her spot on the floor.
“Well at first nothing. I didn’t even realize I’d done it. Then he shouted after me and I stopped and asked him what the matter was,”
“No!” Violet cried, “you’re not supposed to be able to see them!”
“I know that Violet!” Madeleine snapped, “I think I covered it up though. I said I used to be in Perfect but was thrown into No Mans Land a few days ago.”
“Did they believe you?” Boy asked.
“Well…”
Madeleine was just about to answer when a loud knock hammered the door. Every soul in the room stopped breathing. Iris Archer immediately shot up from the table beckoning everyone to grab an imagination.
“Quickly take them into the garden and out through the fence Boy,” she said, “you know the way. Go now. Hurry!”
Boy nodded and quickly directed everyone out of the house. Violet, William and Merrill moved the Reimaginator into the back room and watched the proceedings through a gap in the door.
“You see Iris me dear, she was still wearin her glasses. Now why would someone from No Mans Land be needin to wear their glasses?” the Watcher smiled, as he barged past Iris into the house, followed by a gang of his bandits.
“I don’t know what you mean, who’s she?” Iris asked, “It’s just me here, me on my own, on my ownie, ownie, own. Like always. Just the walls to talk to here. You want tea? I like visitors; I haven’t had anyone to talk to in as long as memory serves me.”
“Come on now and don’t play the fool Iris Archer,” the Watcher growled, pushing her frail body up against the white washed wall, “we all know you’re not as stupid as you look. I’m not neithers!”
“I’m not stupid?” Iris smiled.
“Lads search the house,” the Watcher said, pushing the old woman down into a wonky chair.
“We knows something’s up and you’re gonna tell us what it is,” the Watcher roared, as William pushed Violet out a back window into the garden.
Quickly she sprinted across the grass and clambered through a hole in the fence. The others stood waited in an alleyway behind the house.
“What’s going to happen to Iris?” Violet asked breathlessly.
“She’ll be fine Violet,” William said, “they won’t hurt Mam. No matter what they think of me I know my brothers wouldn’t harm her.”
“What about our plan?” Boy whispered.
“We need a new one,” Violet said, before William could respond.
CHAPTER 33
Let The Battle Begin
Darkness had fallen once more as Violet and Boy snuck along a deserted side road into Perfect. Violet tiptoed up to the corner ahead and peered around. A huge crowd of Watchers congregated in the main square having abandoned their posts. There were lots of them, millions even.
They were gathered round a park bench that sat centre in a pristine flowerbed. Sitting on the bench, her face stern and body stiff was Iris Archer. Edward and George were perched either side of their mother.
&
nbsp; “What are they doing?” Violet whispered.
“Waiting for us,” Boy replied, “we have to tell William.”
The pair sprinted back up the street as quietly as possible and didn’t stop until they reached the entrance to No Mans Land. William Archer stood just inside the gates, his back to the Reimaginator, his front to an elated crowd. Everyone was hugging and there were lots of tears.
The people of Perfect, the ones that had been changed, were reunited with lost friends and family. The streets of No Mans Land were alive with talk of revolution. People who once rubbished William now brandished all sorts of tools ready to invade Perfect.
“It’s happening,” William smiled, hugging the pair as they reached his side, “it’s really happening, we’ll take Perfect tonight...”
“They’re onto us, they’re already waiting in the square. They have Iris,” Boy interrupted, pushing back from William’s embrace.
“How many of them?” the older man asked, his tone suddenly serious.
“Lots,” Violet replied, “more than us by a long way. I didn’t know they had so many Watchers!”
“I don’t know if we can beat them,” Boy continued, “we haven’t changed enough people yet.”
“We can change more,” Violet said quickly, “I know we can.”
“How Violet?” William asked, “they know we’re coming now. They know something’s up.”
“What if we distract them?” Violet replied.
William Archer and his makeshift army strode through the gates of No Mans Land towards Perfect. William didn’t look at the ground as he had in the past, he was soldier straight and focused.
Boy and Violet watched the huge group leave then quickly moved along the side roads towards the opposite end of the town followed by the orphans. They carried with them the remaining imaginations and William Archer’s machine. Slotting into place at the other end of the square, the Watchers, distracted by Williams approach, didn’t notice them.
A Place Called Perfect Page 15