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Laurie stepped off the boat… well, more like nearly face planted off the boat. Luckily, Willy caught her and made sure she didn't pull an Augustus Gloop and fall in the river. As she approached the room, she saw Charlie and Grandpa Joe reading a sign on a door next to the Inventing Room. "Dairy cream…" Charlie read.
"Whipped cream," read Grandpa Joe.
"Coffee cream," Charlie read on.
"Vanilla cream," Grandpa Joe continued. They turned to each other in confusion when they read the final line.
"Hair cream?" Laurie bounced up to them and rested her elbows on their shoulders.
"How else do you expect Mr. Wonka to keep those curls under control?" Laurie asked. She bounced away, joining the rest of the crowd as Willy pulled out a strange, two-pronged device.
"Meine Herrschaften, schenken Sie mir ihre aufmerksamkeit," Willy said as he stuck the two-pronged thing into the key holes on the Inventing Room door. Laurie supposed that it was probably the key for the room. That was clever: giving it two locks that must be opened as one.
"You speak German?" Maureen asked. She didn't get an answer though.
"Sie kommen jetzt in den interessantesten und gleichzeitig geheimsten raum meiner fabric," Willy continued.
"I can't take much more of this," Mr. Salt moaned.
"Of course you speak German when the Gloops are gone," Maureen murmured. "Now I know how the rest of you felt earlier."
"Maine Damen und Herren, der Inventing Room," Willy finished as he put away the two-pronged key. "Now remember, no messing about. No touching, no tasting, no telling."
"No telling what?" Grandpa Joe asked.
"You see, all of my most secret inventions are cooking and simmering in here." Willy explained. "Old Slugworth would give his false teeth to get inside for just five minutes, so don't touch a thing!" When Slugworth was mentioned, Laurie saw some of the children not-so-subtly turn to their parents. Laurie resisted the urge to roll their eyes. It was just as she suspected; Slugworth made the offer to the other contestants as well. Now she just hoped they didn't run into any Everlasting Gobstoppers. Willy stepped away and allowed the tourists into the room. When Laurie entered the room, she stepped to the side to get a good look at it.
The room was filled with the beeping and whirring of various contraptions that she could scarcely describe. Pots of different things were bubbling and steaming while Oompa Loompas observed and added and mixed and whatnot. It was also incredibly messy. Clearly no woman had set foot in this room before today.
"Inventing room? It looks more like a Turkish bath to me," Grandpa Joe asked. Laurie had no idea what a Turkish bath even was, so the analogy was lost on her.
"Even if Slugworth did get in here, he couldn't find anything," Charlie added.
"I don't know…" Laurie said. "Once he figured out the system Wonka has going on, he probably could."
"What makes you think there's a system?" Charlie asked.
"Well, everyone has a system," Laurie said. "And no matter how unorthodox, everyone has a way of organizing things. Wonka's way is just far less obvious."
"What is his way?" Laurie shrugged and walked forward.
"No idea," was her simple reply. She went over towards the other children and looked at the amazing things, trying to figure out Wonka's system. It was going to bug her until she figured it out; she just knew based on how she was. She looked over and saw Willy mixing some sort of concoction. Veruca was waving her arm over a vat and blowing over it, trying to cool it off or something.
Laurie saw Willy pick up an alarm clock and tell her, "Time is a precious thing. Never waste it." He threw the alarm clock into the vat and moved on.
"He's absolutely bonkers," Veruca said.
"And that's not bad," Charlie said with a smile. Mike was eating something. Laurie was sure it would bite him in the butt later on. She watched as her mother and Willy talked some more. Laurie smirked and shook her head. As soon as Veruca had moved on, she nudged Charlie. "What?"
"Mr. Wonka and my mom are totally flirting," Laurie whispered.
"How can you tell?" Charlie asked.
"My mom's wearing her 'I don't realize I'm flirting' face, for one," she said. "And secondly, haven't you noticed how Mr. Wonka's been looking at her? His eyes brighten ever so slightly when he talks to her. Its little things that make it obvious. Not that anyone besides us could tell."
"Why don't you think so?" Charlie asked.
"Veruca only has her mind on herself and Mike, well…" Suddenly there was a loud explosion and Mike tumbled into some pots and pans. Mrs. Teevee screamed and Mike was smoking from the mouth.
"Good point," Charlie said, as Willy began to lecture Mike. "But what about Violet?"
"Hmm," Laurie murmured, thoughtfully stroking her chin. "I guess she might be able to. But gum tends to hold most of her focus. So really, who knows?" She looked back at her smiling mother and knew that winning a golden ticket was definitely destiny; the looks on Willy and Maureen's face definitely said so.
Maureen entered the Inventing Room and immediately knew that he was just as organized now as he was in school… which is to say he wasn't organized at all. The entire room was messy and filled with the steam from various pots. Things bubbled, whistles, whirred, and tooted. In a way, it looked a lot like the garage that Willy invented candy in. His parents never used it, so he converted it into a space for confectionary sciences. She followed Willy as he made his way to an inventing table. "You got a garbage strike going on here, Wonka?" Mr. Beauregarde asked. Willy ignored the question and immediately started to mix together a concoction of various liquids.
"Who does your cleaning up?" Mrs. Teevee asked.
"Shouldn't you be wearing rubber gloves? You'll have the health inspectors after you, you know that, don't you?" Mr. Salt asked. Maureen rolled her eyes at the adults. How did they not see that this was the centerpiece of Willy's imagination? Sure the Chocolate room was that imagination manifested into physical form, but here, the possibilities were endless. Things could be tested, experimented, and perfected in this room.
"Invention, my dear friends, is ninety-three percent perspiration, six percent electricity, four percent evaporation, and two percent butterscotch ripple," Willy said. Maureen smiled and laughed. He'd said the same thing to her once, long ago.
"That's a hundred and five percent!" Mrs. Teevee snapped.
"That extra five percent in needed to make some extraordinary," Maureen said. Willy gave her a knowing smirk as he drank the concoction.
"Any good?" Mr. Salt asked.
Willy nodded and then said, "Yes," in an almost hilariously high pitched voice. He turned around and walked up to Veruca, who was trying blowing over a bubbling, steaming vat. "Time is a precious thing. Never waste it." He threw an alarm clock into the vat and moved on. Maureen laughed and found herself looking at a bicycle with mixing stuff attached to the hind wheel. She was pretty sure the bike looked familiar…
"Willy?" she asked. Willy walked over to her and looked at the bike with a light in his eyes. "Is this the bike you used to ride to school?"
"I'm surprised you recognize it," he said. He hopped onto the bike and began to pedal and sing, "In springtime, the only pretty ring time birds sing, hey ding, a-ding, a-ding, sweet lovers love, the spring."
Maureen smiled, remembering that old warm up Mrs. Maguire used in chorus. She loved knowing the little references that he often made that only she could get. Suddenly there was a loud banging sound and the tumble of metal pots and pans. "Mike!" Mrs. Teevee screeched.
Willy sighed and shook his head, saying, "I told you not to, silly boy."
"Your teeth!" Mrs. Teevee screamed.
"Boy, that's great stuff," Mike said, smoke coming from his mouth.
"That's exploding candy for your enemies," Willy said, getting off the bike. "Great idea, isn't it. Not ready yet, though, still too weak. Needs more gelignite." Maureen raised an eyebrow and shook her head. Of course it wasn't powerful enough for him yet. Willy turned on his heel wearing his signature smile and looked at Maureen. "What? I know you're giving me a look behind my back."
"What look?" Maureen asked.
"That one," he replied.
"Which one, you'll have to be more specific," Maureen said. Willy rolled his eyes and shook his head. He dipped a finger into a nearby pot and tasted it. He seemed to ponder for a moment and then he picked up a sneaker and threw it in.
"What's that for?" Mr. Salt asked.
"Gives it a little kick," Willy replied. Maureen laughed at the man's antics. Clever as always… Mr. Salt suddenly pulled Willy to the side to ask him something. The only part of the conversation Maureen heard was Willy saying, "Candy is dandy but liquor is quicker."
"Reminds me of the garage," Maureen said to Willy. "A larger scale garage."
"Well, inventing had to start somewhere," Willy replied, keeping a careful eye on everyone in the room. "You were just lucky enough to see its earliest stage. Remember when I tried to make candy to help the vocal chords?"
"Oh my Lord, our tongues swelled up so badly," Maureen laughed. "It was the night of a concert too. Maguire was livid. Luckily I didn't need my tongue to play piano."
"She nearly gave me a failing grade, too," Willy said. "Then there was the frog incident."
"I still don't know that frog got into the batch and lived," Maureen recalled. "Marion's still afraid of frogs because of that and won't eat anything associated with the color green."
"Really?" he asked. Maureen nodded, chuckling lightly. "I feel bad now."
"Don't," Maureen said. "She and her kids still love your candy. In fact, her husband runs the shop that Laurie got her Golden Ticket from."
"Really?" Willy asked. Maureen nodded. "You know, I think I recall reading an interview where Laurie said that getting some of my chocolate was a tradition the two you have for after every concert." Maureen paused and flushed. She looked down and bit her lip as Willy started laughing. "Why are you so embarrassed about that?"
"I don't know," Maureen said. "I just suddenly am." He gently lifted her chin so that she was looking into his very pretty blue eyes.
"Don't be," he said. He then walked away to inspect another vat. He placed his hand in it and immediate screamed and recoiled.
"What's the matter? Too hot, Mr. Wonka?" Violet asked.
"No, too cold," he answered, grabbing a thick coat and tossing it in. "Far too cold." Suddenly a loud buzzer went off and Mr. Beauregarde jumped. "No! Don't. Please. Forgive me, but no one must look under there. This is the most secret machine in my entire factory. This is the one that's really going to sizzle old Slugworth."
"What's it do?" Charlie asked. Willy walked around to the end of the machine and leaned on in, appearing almost condescending in a way.
He smirked and asked, "Would you like to see?"
"Yeah," Charlie replied, a light appearing in his eyes similar to Willy's. Willy smiled and pressed a button, causing the machine to flare to life. Two long, mechanical arms covered with green fabric moved back and forth while a little blue fabric arched up and down. A pink thing was moving up and down next to another blue fabric covered thing that was spinning around. As the machine worked its magic, little multicolored candies came out on the little conveyor belt. "But what's it do?" Charlie asked.
"Can't you see? It makes Everlasting Gobstoppers," Willy said, picking one up.
"Did you say Everlasting Gobstoppers?" Violet asked. Willy mouthed the name of the candy with her and nodded.
"That's right," he said. "For children with very little pocket money. You can suck 'em forever."
"I want an Everlasting Gobstopper!" Veruca shouted.
"Me too!" Violet said.
"And me!" Mike said. Willy smelled the candy and smirked.
"Fantastic invention," he said. "Revolutionize the industry. You can suck 'em and suck 'em and suck 'em, and they'll never get any smaller. Never. At least I don't think they do. A few more tests."
"How do you make 'em?" Mike asked.
Willy pointed to his right ear and said, "I'm a trifle deaf in this ear. Speak a little louder next time. Who wants an Everlasting Gobstopper?" The children all said, 'me!' or 'I do!' Well, all but Laurie, which Maureen found a little strange. "I can only give them to you if you solemnly swear to keep them for yourselves and never show them to another living soul as long as you all shall live. Agreed?"
"Agreed!" the children echoed.
"Wait, does it have strawberry in it?" Laurie asked. Willy seemed to wince and nodded.
"It does, I'm so sorry," he said.
"It's fine," Laurie said. "Besides, knowing me, I would have lost it somewhere. We wouldn't want it in the wrong hands." Willy nodded and smiled a knowing smile. Maureen had no idea what he knew, but he certainly knew something. "Now, one for you, one for you, and one for you."
"You forgot about Charlie," Laurie said.
"And one for Charlie," Willy said, plopping a Gobstopper into his hand.
"She's got two! I want another one!" Veruca screamed.
"Stop squawking, you twit!" Violet shouted back, holding out her single Gobstopper.
"Everybody has had one, and one is enough for anybody," Willy snapped sternly. "Now come along." He parted the crowd and started to walk forward. "Now over here, if you'll follow me, I have something rather special to show you." He led them to a large, strange looking contraption. Different shaped domes were around the multi-legged machine, as well as different plates, mechanisms, and ingredients. There was even a beehive at the top of the machine.
"It's special alright," Mr. Salt murmured. "I only hope my Veruca doesn't want one."
"Isn't she scrumptious? She's my revolutionary, non-pollutionary mechanical wonder," Willy said. "Now," Willy clapped his hands and looked around. "Button, button, who's got the button?" Charlie patted Willy on the shoulder and pointed.
"It's over here," he said. Willy walked over a little and pointed.
"Here?" Charlie nodded and Willy pressed the big red button. The machine whirred to life, making all sorts of squishes and clanks. One part of the machine pour salt by the cup full. Another part smashed tomatoes in a bowl with a large, circular disk. A third used boxing gloves to knead dough, causing flour to rise up into the air. A small tube dripped with honey from the beehive on the top of the confectionary giant. "What you are witnessing, dear friends, is the most enormous miracle of the machine age: the creation of a confectionery giant!" Willy explained. Maureen could feel the excitement in his voice as he talked about this prized machine. Leave it to Willy to come up with something so brilliant. Finally, he machine spit to a stop as a small, yellow thing popped out into a clear slot. "Finito!" he said as he took out the yellow candy.
"That's all?" Veruca asked.
"That's all!? Don't you know what this is?" Willy asked.
"By gum, it's gum!" Violet shouted.
"Wrong!" Willy replied. "It's the most amazing, fabulous, sensational gum in the whole world!"
"What's so fab about it?" Violet asked.
"You mean besides the fact that it's the sole product of this giant machine?" Laurie asked with an arched eyebrow.
"This little piece of gum is a three course dinner," Willy said.
"Bull," Mr. Salt grumbled.
"No, roast beef," Willy said. "But I haven't got it quite right yet."
"I don't care," Violet said as she grabbed the gum from Willy's hand.
"Oh!" Willy shouted, holding up one finger. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."
"So long as it's gum, then that's for me," Violet said.
"So you suddenly know better than the man who invented it and says it still has some kinks?" Laurie asked. She threw her hands in the eye and walked away, most likely not wanting to witness the results of Violet's stupidity. Violet popped the gum into her mouth and started chewing.
"What's it taste like?" Charlie asked.
"Madness!" Violet said. "It's tomato soup! It's hot and creamy. I can actually feel it running down my throat! It's delicious!"
"Stop, don't…" Willy said, completely unenthusiastic. Maureen sat down next to Willy and shrugged. He shrugged back as if to say, 'She's not going to listen to me anyway, so why should I even bother?' She patted his shoulder as if to comfort him. Meanwhile, Laurie was still stand with her back turned, arms crossed. She turned her head around to see what was happening and then quickly turned it back.
"What part of it isn't right yet?" Maureen asked.
"You'll see," Willy said.
"Hey, second course is coming up! Roast beef and a baked potato!" Violet shouted.
"With sour cream?" Mr. Beauregarde asked with a laugh. "What's for dessert, baby?"
"Dessert? Here it comes. Blueberry pie and cream! It's the most marvelous blueberry pie that I've ever tasted!" Violet said as she chewed. But the more she chewed, the more blue her face became. Maureen dropped her jaw and looked at Willy.
"So that's the problem," Maureen said. Willy nodded. Laurie turned around, rolled her eyes, and then turned back away from the scene.
"It gets worse," he told her.
"Holy Toledo, what's happening to your face?" Mr. Beauregarde exclaimed.
"Cool it, dad!" Violet snapped. "Let me finish."
"Yeah but your face is turning blue! Violet, you're turning violet, Violet!" Mr. Beauregarde shouted.
"What are you talking about?" Violet asked.
"I told you I hadn't got it quite right yet," Willy said, his voice almost monotone.
"You can say that again," Mr. Beauregarde snapped. "Look what it's done to my kid!"
"Always goes wrong when we come to the desert," Willy said, rubbing the back of his head. "Always." Suddenly, Violet began to slowly inflate. Maureen widened her eyes and dropped her jaw. Mr. Beauregarde ran over to his daughter as Maureen looked at Willy.
"I'm assuming that's what you were talking about," Maureen said. Willy nodded.
"Violet, what are you doing now? You're blowing up!" Mr. Beauregarde screamed.
"I feel funny!" Violet shouted as her red belt popped off. "What's happening!?"
"You're blowing up like a balloon!" Mr. Beauregarde shouted.
"Like a blueberry," Willy said calmly. "It happens every time. They all become blueberries."
"Call a doctor!"
"Stick her with a pin!"
"She'll pop!"
"You've really done it this time, haven't you, Wonka!" Mr. Beauregarde growled. "I'll break you for this!"
"Oh, well, I'll get it right in the end," Willy said, ignoring Mr. Beauregarde and pulling out his penny whistle.
"Help! Help!" Violet called out as Willy tooted the whistle.
"We've got to get the air out of her!" Mr. Beauregarde shouted, sounding more panicked by the second.
"There's no air in her," Willy said. "That's juice."
"Juice!?" Mr. Beauregarde shouted. An Oompa Loompa approached them and Willy bent down to talk to him.
"Would you roll the young lady down to the juicing room at once, please?" Willy asked. The Oompa Loompa nodded and walked away.
"What for?" Mr. Beauregarde asked.
"For squeezing. She has to be squeezed immediately before she explodes," Willy explained. Mr. Beauregarde's eyes went huge and he dropped his jaw.
"Explodes!?"
"It's a fairly simple operation," Willy said. Maureen looked at Violet, who was now a giant, oval shaped, blue thing. The Oompa Loompas began to sing as they spun Violet around and rolled her about the room.
"Oompa Loompa doom-pa-dee-do
I have another puzzle for you
Oompa Loompa doom-pa-da-dee
If you are wise, you'll listen to me
Gum chewing's fine when it's once in a while
It stops you from smoking and brightens your smile
But it's repulsive, revolting, and wrong
Chewing and chewing all day long
The way that a cow does
Oompa Loompa doom-pa-dee-da
Given good manners, you will go far
You will live in happiness too
Like the Oompa Loompa doom-pa-dee-do!"
One Oompa Loompa took Mr. Beauregarde by the hand and led him through the big metal doors. "I'll get even with you for this, Wonka, if it's the last thing I ever do!" Mr. Beauregarde shouted. From the distance, they could hear him moan, "I got a blueberry for a daughter…"
"Where is fancy bred? In the heart, or in the head?" Willy asked. "Shall we roll on?" A Oompa Loompa handed Willy his cane and he walked ahead, ready to guide the four remaining children to the next rooms.