Cast of Characters
INTRODUCTION TO THE MAIN CHARACTERS:THE HEROES - Albert and Florence Leadington
Obviously every fantasy book should have a hero of sorts. In order to pull the reader into the story you need for them to sufficiently believe in that character. Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. I devised the characters of 10 year old twins - ALBERT AND FLORRIE LEADINGTON as my heroes. I wanted them to be the 'underdogs' that the reader would 'root for', likeable, tough and brave but also children that had suffered terrible injustice. They had to be survivors because of all the dangerous adventures they would be forced to embark upon. They also had to be optimistic as children, because although a lot of bad things had befallen them during their short lives, the element of hope had to be a driving force. Neither Albert nor Florrie are vastly intelligent or gifted but what they do have it a tenacious instinct for survival which is an important tool to the success and flow of THE TWELVE QUESTS. This is an extract to describe in part what their time was like at Mrs. Snagglesnarle's orphanage in Victorian London - a very different era in history!
''Albert and Florence Leadington awoke to the usual scrum and scurry of the day, with all the inevitable beatings and nastiness that were common at Mrs. Snagglesnarle's orphanage. The ten year old twins knew it would be yet another dreadful day characterised by horrid chores, such as sweeping sooty choked-up chimneys and scrubbing laundry in steaming vats of water until their hands looked like withered tomatoes. Or, if they were very lucky, they would be sent out onto the grey stenchy streets of London, with its open sewers and disease spreading rats, to run errands for Mrs. Snagglesnarle. Albert and Florence, (who actually preferred to be called Florrie), prayed for such days, because even though the streets of London were often chillier than the orphanage, there was a certain freedom to be had running across the roads. However, these sorts of days were few and far between.
There was no denying that Mrs. Snagglesnarle's orphanage was a truly dire and dismal place, with its whistley draughts, paint peeling walls and cracked up old windows. The house smelt of death and decay, all dank and damp, and cold and mouldy. Truth be known, I've seen graveyards that were more welcoming than this dreadful abode. Indeed, these unfortunate children were even forced to wear dead people's clothes, clothes that had been taken from corpses as they lay cold in their coffins, due to the fact that Mrs. Snagglesnarle had an arrangement with the local undertaker.
"Get up you miserable little ruffians!" Mrs. Snagglesnarle screeched, as she poked them with her walking stick, "Or I will make you sorry that you were ever born!"
THE GUARDIANS - Arthur Canarthy and Ebenezer Smythe
In contrast to Albert and Florrie I wanted to create a couple of guardians for them but characters that would be the least likely to have any sense of how to look after children, so I came up with ARTHUR CANARTHY and EBENEZER SMYTHE.
Arthur Canarthy grudgingly becomes their legal guardian after being forced to assume responsibility of the twins. He is selfish, paranoid, neurotic, irritable, pompous and somewhat of a coward. The relationship that develops between him and the children is a very gradual and unlikely one (as is his friendship with Ebenezer). This is a description of what happens just after he informs the children that their parents aren't dead but have been cursed by a witch (who he is insisting they go and meet).
"Of course I'm sure! I've never had a bad idea in my life, besides it is the only way if you ever want to see your parents again," Mr. Canarthy replied brusquely, as he marched forward, his arms swinging like a soldier on parade. "Believe me when I say I am not overly cheerful about the circumstances either, but I don't see any other alternative."
"How do we know he's not on her side?" Florence whispered to her brother, as her long tangled hair whipped up against her grubby cheeks.
"He could be you know, and then we'd really be in trouble, that's if what he's told us is true."
"Doubt it," her brother replied, shivering uncontrollably. "Why go to all the trouble of getting us out of the orphanage then?"
"I don't know, maybe he's just crazy! We don't know if he's really Uncle Charlie's brother or not, we've only got his word! He could be anybody - he could be a mad axe murderer!"
"Don't be ridiculous! He'd have killed us by now if that was the case. Besides, he doesn't look like a mad axe murderer."
This was actually true in some respects, depending on how many mad axe murderers you have encountered because you would really have to have somebody to compare Mr. Arthur Canarthy to if you were going to make such an assumption.
Personally, I have always thought a mad axe murderer would have wild, wolfy eyes and perhaps foam at the mouth a little as rabid dogs do.
But Mr. Canarthy was a fairly ordinary looking fellow, and you'd be hard pressed to describe him as dangerous looking. He had a pasty face and eyes the colour of dirty dishwater, with no real chin to speak of which gave him an insipid air and enormous ears that stuck out like wind breakers. The few strands of hair that remained on his head were carefully combed over and waxed down from one side to the other, so that even the spiteful gusty night could not ruffle what remained of his balding coiffure.
The introduction of Ebenezer Smythe comes when the children meet him for the first time, just before they set sail with him to France:
"Blimey Mimey! Arthur Canarthy! You proper startled me! I thought you wos the peelers!" wheezed a scruffy looking fellow speaking with a broad cockney accent. He spun round and clamped a spade-like hand to his chest, "you almost gave me an' 'art attack, so you did!"
"Sorry about that," replied Mr. Canarthy, not looking in the least bit sorry, just clearly impatient.
"So I'm presumin' these 'ere is the children you wos talkin' about then? The ones wot need to get to France?" asked the man, scratching his bulbous nose as the breeze blew his straggly hair.
"Yes, these are my charges, Albert and Florence Leadington," he nodded curtly.
"Children, this gentleman is an old acquaintance of mine, Mr. Ebenezer Smythe, he shall be assisting us on our venture. If anything can be found, it's by Mr. Smythe here, isn't that so Ebenezer?"
"Sure as eggs is eggs, Arthur. We'll get these little tinkers to their destination no problem."
As you can see he has a very particular voice pattern as he is a Cockney, so this was a little harder to capture at times. He is also deceptively intelligent, speaking many languages and knows a vast array of colleagues right across the world (which comes in handy as the small group commence on their epic journey!)
THEIR NEMESIS - Madame Belladonna Divitan
When I read a book, especially a children's book, I want the villains to be really believable so when I came up with MADAME DIVITAN, it was essential to me that she was as vindictive and evil as possible. I actually find her character quite fun to write as she has no heart, indeed she delights in being as vicious and poisonous as possible and is also quite insane, increasingly so during the course of the books. I chose the name Belladonna because it is also known as 'deadly nightshade' - a plant full of toxins that can cause delirium, hallucinations and even death - which I thought was quite appropriate for this witch who is determined to destroy the Leadington twins. (In contrast Belladonna's sister is named Lily which symbolises purity in the flower world).
Anyway this is how I described Madame Divitan for the first time:
"Well don't just stand there, follow me," instructed the mean looking man, his dark sunken eyes boring into them. Florrie and Albert hesitated and glanced at each other, their nerves jittering and leaping around like skittish spring lambs, just before they discover they are destined for somebody's dining room table.
"I don't want to go in," whimpered Florrie, grasping her brother's hand and squeezing it a bit too tightly, "suppose she puts a curse on us too?"
"Look we'll just have to take our chances, alright? Besides you want to see mother and father again don't you?"
"Well, of course I do!" she replied, with a slender sense of indignation, as the butler led them into a large salon, where Madame Divitan awaited them.
The witch arose slowly and majestically from her chair, her smile thinning like a paint brush does when you put it in a jar of water, all washed away, until nothing remains but a pale smudge of colour. In fact everything about her was pale, almost ghostly some might say, except for a dab of rouge to her cheeks and her blood red lips. Several black cats lay lazily around the room, cleaning their fur whilst keeping a watchful eye on the new arrivals.
"These are the Leadington children," the mean looking man announced, "and their guardian, Mr. Arthur Canarthy."
"So I see. Fetch me the contract Bradshaw."
"Very good Madame."
"Well, let's get down to business shall we? I have no inclination for small talk and I'm presuming you are here because you want me to lift the curse I placed on your parents?"
"Well, yes Ma'am - I mean Mr. Canarthy has explained what happened and we know they made you angry, but we really don't want to have to go back to the orphanage. We just want to see our parents again and Mr. Canarthy thought that if we came and spoke to you ......."
"Mr. Canarthy should know better than to think I would be swayed by the pathetic pleadings of children," she snorted, "you are mine by rights. A deal is a deal after all!"
Obviously there are many other characters but these are the 5 main ones that constantly recur throughout all of 'The Twelve Quests".
If you have enjoyed reading this then have a look at other areas of the website such as:
THE CREATIVE WORKSHOP
INSPIRATION BEHIND THE BOOKS
Also read some of the sample chapters and let us know what you think!
