“It has to be where the scientists are,” he said. “We have to get in there, but how do we get past the guards?”
“If we can distract the Watcher,” Violet whispered, an idea forming, “then we should be able to get past the zombies. They’re programmed to listen to Tom – Powick said so. And remember Hugo believed you were Tom the last time and so did the zombies in the tunnel earlier? So it might work again – they might just let us past.”
“The alarm!” Boy said excitedly. “If we can set it off, then the Watcher will have to leave to go figure out what’s happening!”
“But how do we do that?” Violet asked.
“Easy.” Boy smiled. “I did it once with Jack when I wanted to get out of a test!”
“Boy!” Violet was shocked. “That was you…?”
“Oh stop acting like such a Perfectionist! Remember you were almost a No-Man’s-Lander too!” he mocked, slipping back down the stairs.
She followed, unsure where they were headed until they stopped outside the principal’s office.
Violet shivered – she’d never been there before. Boy turned the handle and walked in, and she crept in behind. The room was nothing like she’d imagined it would be. It didn’t have rules written up all over the place, or a dartboard with pictures of the school’s most troublesome pupils, or confiscated items laid out across the shelves like trophies. The place was normal, boringly normal.
A large desk and chair sat at one side of the small space. A worn green carpet covered the floor and a picture of the principal’s family and some sort of certificates hung on the cream-painted back wall. Boy walked behind the desk and opened the top drawer.
“What are you doing?” she hissed.
He pulled out a lighter and shook it.
“It’s where the teachers keep things they take from pupils. I saw Mrs Moody take this from Conor Crooked last week! If we hold the flame under the alarm it should go off!”
“We might need a bit more fire than that,” Violet said, looking around for some paper.
“See, now you sound like an orphan of No-Man’s-Land!”
The pair crept back upstairs to the bathroom just off the landing near the science labs. The room was long and thin, lined on one side with cubicles and on the other with a row of white ceramic sinks. In the middle of the ceiling was a small round fire alarm.
Boy climbed onto the top of the front wall of the cubicles and shimmied along until he was near the alarm. Violet passed him up the paper. He set it alight, then reached across, waving the flames underneath the small sensor.
Violet waited nervously by the door, peeking out at the labs, until suddenly a loud sharp beeping pierced the air. She covered her ears. The Watcher dropped his book and looked up. Then he shot to his feet and marched down the hallway to the stairs, peering over. He barked something at the zombies before disappearing down the steps.
Boy was racing out the door when Violet grabbed him.
“Clean your face,” she shouted above the noise, “you look like a zombie!”
He washed off the talc and coal and then slipped out onto the landing. Remembering her limp, Violet followed behind her friend towards the science lab, her heart pounding as they approached the two zombie guards.
One of the creatures was tall, its thin, brittle skin barely covering long, bony limbs. Its face was pockmarked and its head hung a little to one side, revealing a missing ear. It snarled at the air and shook its head, as if trying to rid itself of the sharp alarm sound. The other was just a little smaller and gaunt; its cheeks were hollow and dark purple circles enlarged its protruding eyes.
Boy stopped confidently in front of them.
“I’ve been ordered to speak to the prisoners,” he said loudly.
The taller creature bent forward as if inspecting him, still throwing its head around like it was trying to swat a fly.
“I need to see the prisoners!” Boy shouted this time.
Violet winced and tried to cover her reaction with a grunt. She stared straight at the classroom door, willing it to open. Boy shifted uneasily.
“Now!” he boomed, then he reached forward and put his hand boldly on the door handle, turning it.
Violet’s heart pounded almost louder than the alarm in her ears. The zombies looked at them as Boy stepped in, but made no move to stop them. Violet, breathless now, marched in behind him, closing the door with a bang.
The alarm was a little more muffled inside the classroom. Across the space, huddled in the far corner, were three men and two women. They brandished upturned stools, Bunsen burners and spatulas like weapons. Each of them wore a strange, pointed, paper cone hat with a D printed right in the middle.
“Isn’t she the girl from the castle earlier?” the man Violet recognized as Joseph Bohr said, lowering his lab stool. “And you’re the twin with black eyes, I remember!”
“Don’t tell me that nurse got her too!” The orange-haired woman called Teresa sounded horrified as she pointed at Violet.
Violet blushed – she’d almost forgotten how she must look.
“Oh no, it’s just a disguise,” she said, pulling up her sleeves to reveal her healthy pink flesh. “I’m pretending to be a zombie!”
“Good show!” Dr Bohr smiled, banging down the stool. “Did you set off the alarm too? Clever, clever children!”
The beeping sound still rang on the air and Violet found she had to strain a little to hear.
“We need your help,” Boy said urgently.
“Our help?” the man who Arnold Archer had referred to as Magnus asked, pulling off his white cap.
“What are they?” Violet nodded at the hat.
“Oh, something Arnold’s been making us wear since we got here. He thinks it’s funny,” he spat. “The D is for ‘dunce’, you see. The last time I didn’t have mine on, one of those monsters hung Teresa out the window. He’s even stuck us in a children’s science lab to drill home his point, while he plastered all of his so-called genius across these walls…”
For the first time Violet properly took in the details of her surroundings. While the brown-topped tables and steel-legged chairs of the science labs were familiar, the school science posters and children’s experiments that normally adorned the room were covered over with large-scale drawings of what looked to be Arnold Archer’s DeathDefier.
Pages and pages of writing and sketches hung from every corner of the space, displaying his research and outlining exactly how his machine worked. A banner on one side of the room above the posters read, “The Thesis of a True Genius” in large black letters.
Joseph Bohr held up his hand. “Not now, Magnus, let’s not get distracted – the children said they need our help…”
“Yes, Dr Bohr.” Boy nodded. “We haven’t much time. The Watcher at the door has gone to check on the alarm, but he might figure out it was a trick soon!”
“Arnold has taken over our town, Dr Bohr, and locked everyone away in a part of it called No-Man’s-Land,” Violet interrupted quickly. “He’s released the Watchers, who are his sons’ army, but we think he is also going to march all of his zombies in too. The people of Town need to fight back, but we can’t take on the Watchers and the zombies – we’d never win. So Boy thought maybe we could create some sort of magnet that the zombies’ steel frames could stick to, and then we would only have the Watchers to fight. We’ve taken them on before and won – we could win our Town back again. We need to do it before—” Violet stopped herself, unsure whether she believed what she was about to say.
“Before what?” Teresa encouraged.
“Before… Well, just in case he really can raise the dead, we need to do it before the zombies become real and can walk around without their frames or batteries.”
“Ha,” Magnus laughed, sitting down on one of the high lab chairs. “Don’t tell me the people of this town believe that Arnold can do what he says. Arnold’s a madman…”
“A madman who has you locked up, Magnus.” Teresa tutted,
silencing the scientist.
“Ah, I see, so you’ve read about my research.” Dr Bohr stood up and pulled off his dunce’s cap. “Yes, magnetic fields are my thing and you are on to something with this, but I’m afraid time is not on our side. Arnold is planning his show tomorrow, is he not?”
Boy nodded.
“I’d need more thinking time than this and these surroundings are not conducive to good work. Besides, that man you called the Watcher will be back soon and you two need to go…”
“What if we got you out? What if you came with us to No-Man’s-Land?” Boy blurted.
Violet raised her eyebrows, unsure how Dr Bohr could pass unnoticed through Town.
“Go with them, Joseph,” Teresa urged, stepping forward, “and take this.”
The orange-haired scientist ripped one of the posters from the wall. On it was a layout of Arnold’s machine with arrows explaining the working parts. Inside the glass tube was a zombie strapped to the large metal human-shaped plate.
“But what if they notice I’m gone?” the man stuttered, looking around at his colleagues.
“We’ll cover for you.” Magnus nodded, standing up. “Teresa’s right, just go. Arnold needs to be brought down, and you can help.”
“But they might hurt some of you to find out where I am. Can’t we all go?”
“It’d be too risky,” Boy said solemnly, “but once our plan’s in place and the battle starts, we will save the rest of you. I promise.”
“Just go, Joseph, we’ll be fine. Do it for Spinners,” Teresa replied, tears welling in her eyes.
Joseph Bohr turned to Violet and Boy. “Right. I’m coming!”
Violet gulped and glanced across at her friend.
“Okay.” Boy nodded, looking much more confident than she felt.
He walked to the door and opened it, the alarm attacking their ears once more.
“I’ve been ordered to take this prisoner to Arnold,” he shouted at Powick’s creatures and passed through without another word.
Violet grabbed hold of Dr Bohr’s arm and, putting on her best zombie act, pulled him roughly out into the corridor, before taking one last look at the other scientists inside. They stood together in a line, arm in arm. Teresa nodded and smiled gently as the door closed.
The alarm blocked out all other sound as the three made their way down the corridor. Violet expected to see the Watcher at every turn. They descended the stairs and carefully checked the hallway below before heading for the exit. They were just passing the art room when she had a brainwave.
“In here,” Violet whispered, ducking back.
She raced around and grabbed as many bottles of paint and props as possible, then, taking inspiration from Anna, began changing Boy back into a zombie. Then she turned her attention to Dr Bohr. Violet worked the gory details into his face, arms and feet as her friend grabbed scissors and began ripping holes in the old man’s clothes. The doctor sat amused, watching them.
“I already had one foot in the grave – does this now qualify as two?” Bohr joked, looking at himself in the mirror.
The alarm was still ringing as all three snuck outside, through the school gates and limped their way down to Edward Street. As they approached the Town Hall, Watchers were erecting loudspeakers on two of its tall stone columns. Violet had to nudge the doctor forward when he lost concentration staring at the DeathDefier and momentarily forgot he was a zombie. He snapped back into character and they reached Iris Archer’s house without another hiccup.
“Where have you been?” Jack asked, standing up as they walked in. “We thought you were—”
He stopped, as he noticed the third figure. Anna grabbed Jack’s leg in fright.
“Very sorry, I don’t normally look like this.” The man smiled. “I’m Dr Joseph Bohr, reporting for duty!”
Boy was just explaining everything that had happened when a sharp sound cut across him. A voice ricocheted around the streets, clearly being broadcast through a loudspeaker. It was Edward.
“Boy Archer, come forward and give yourself up, unless you want your friends and family to suffer for you.” His gruff tone hung cold in the afternoon air. “We are sending in the Watchers and they will search No-Man’s-Land with a fine-tooth comb. Anyone found harbouring Boy will be punished.”
The loudspeaker crackled, hissed, then cut out.
Violet shivered and grabbed her friend’s arm. Boy didn’t look at her as they heard a band of Watchers pounding the cobbles close by on Archers’ Avenue.
“We can’t go back,” she whispered. “I mean, you definitely can’t anyway, Boy!”
“I have to,” he insisted.
“Powick and Arnold must be desperate now.” She spoke quietly. “They need you by your birthday, by tomorrow.”
“Well, I’ll just have to stay out of their way.” Boy stuck his head back through the broken doorframe to check the street.
“What do they need him for?” Anna asked.
“We still don’t know.” Boy sounded frustrated.
“Powick said something at the castle about an elix…something of life. Remember, Boy?”
“Elixir of Life.” Boy nodded.
“What’s that?” Anna asked.
“It’s a formula for immortality,” Joseph Bohr explained. “It’s been sought through the ages by alchemists. It’s a legend, of course, but even still, many have died trying to find it!”
“What’s an alchemist?” Violet asked.
“Alchemy is an ancient practice shrouded in mystery,” Joseph Bohr continued. “The alchemists’ quest was to find the Elixir of Life, a substance that could raise the dead or grant eternal life to the living.”
“Powick said she needed it to be Tom’s birthday to make this elixir thing. And Tom said that he was the powerful one, not Arnold’s machine. Do you think they believe Tom can raise the dead? But then why do they need Boy?” Violet was still confused.
“It’s all nonsense, Violet. The Elixir of Life is just a fantasy, the stuff of folklore,” Joseph Bohr declared. “Mark my words, Arnold Archer is and always will be a madman. He was obsessed by this years ago and he’s at it again, but no one can raise the dead and, in my opinion, the dead should be left well enough alone!”
“But does it really matter if they can or can’t?” Violet insisted. “If Powick and Arnold believe they can, and they think they need Boy to do it, then Boy’s in danger. He can’t go back to No-Man’s-Land. He needs to leave Town, now! I have a terrible feeling about all this.”
“Do you think I’d just abandon everyone, all my family and friends? No way, Violet.” Boy was determined. “Right now we have to save Town and that means stopping Arnold and the others.”
“We really need to get going.” Jack interrupted the conversation, looking nervously up the street.
More Watchers pounded by outside, heading off down Rag Lane.
“We can talk about this later,” Boy said, and he slipped back out of the house, heading for the bottom of Archers’ Avenue.
The other four followed behind him towards the wall into No-Man’s-Land.
“I’ve to climb that?” Joseph Bohr craned his neck to look up. “I know I have a youthful glow but do any of you realize what age I am?”
“I don’t think you have a glow, I think you look really old, Mr Dr Bohr, but there’s no other way,” Anna said, pulling on his sleeve. “And my mam says age is only a number.”
“A wise woman.” Dr Bohr laughed, shaking his head as Boy climbed the wall and dropped the rope down.
All four clambered up. It took the doctor much longer than the others but he’d a smile as wide as the footbridge when he was helped over the top of the wall.
“Well, I haven’t had this much fun since I was spinning electrons!” he beamed.
They crept across the rooftops and in the bathroom window, down the three floors to the ground and out onto Forgotten Road. They kept in zombie character as they crossed the Market Yard towards Merrill Marx’s place.
>
Violet looked away as a Watcher bullied a man near the Rag Tree.
“Where is Boy?” he growled, a fistful of the man’s collar in his grasp. “If some of youse don’t give ’im up, you’ll all get it!”
The man was tight-lipped. Violet winced as he was shoved roughly against a wall and his attacker stormed away. Someone rushed to his side to help. If the Watchers kept this up, someone would surely give Boy away. People knew there were meetings at Merrill’s.
The bell above the door ting ed as Violet entered. The place was empty, stools overturned as if it had been deserted quickly.
“No,” Violet gasped, “they’ve taken everyone, the Watchers must have—”
“Violet?” Rose rushed out from the cubby under the stairs. “I’d know your voice anywhere. We thought you were a group of zombies, pet!”
Shocked and relieved, Violet looked at her friends and burst out laughing. She’d completely forgotten how they must appear.
Slowly the others emerged from their hiding places to welcome them back.
“They’re really looking for Boy now. People know he’s here! Maybe we should move?” Violet said as everyone settled down.
“It’s okay,” Merrill replied softly. “I’ve spoken to most of Town – we’ve friends watching the streets. I promise we’ll be alerted if anyone tells the Watchers anything.”
“What if Vincent Crooked finds out where he is? He’ll definitely give us away.”
“We’ll cross that bridge if it comes to it, Violet,” Eugene said, pulling his daughter close. “Now what happened with Bohr?”
“Stay back,” Madeleine cried, late to the gathering, picking up a sweeping brush and wielding it about as the doctor stepped forward from the shadows. “Come here, children, get behind me. One of those creatures has snuck in with you!”
“No, Mam, no,” Anna said, running to grab Joseph’s hand, “he’s the doctor man!”
“They’ve turned him into a zombie?” the woman gasped.
“Oh no, my dear lady – like the children, it’s merely a costume!” Dr Bohr said, rubbing away some of his makeup.
The Battle for Perfect Page 16
