And show time it was! There was a queue all the way down the street and the flow of customers barely let up from the moment the door opened. All of Lily's tension melted away as she saw that Team Pictsie were as efficient as they could possibly be. All the Pictsie Mark I's sold in the first two hours so 'Moon beneath the Mountain' quickly took notes of advance orders and more importantly, notes of Ankh-Morpork dollars in deposits. Several 'while you wait' repairs were handled by 'The Turning of the Cogs' and the other goblins zipped back and forth from the stock room to replenish supplies.
Mr Dulling proved himself most worthy of his role, fielding every question about the products without hesitation. He managed to get most customers purchasing at least one more item than they planned without them realising what was happening. Even better they were thanking him for it! Dulling seemed to grow half a foot taller as the day went on.
Around lunch time, the height of trade that day, Sacharissa, William and Jeff Burgin, one of Otto's picture taking colleagues arrived. The entrance of the press made the hustle and bustle in the small store a little more jostle and muscle, the public wanting to catch any gossip about the 'Colour Killer' but the goblins silently stepped in so that no toes were trodden on, nor elbows dug in.
"So, Miss Flach," Sacharissa began, "can I call you Lily?"
Lily was wary, but nodded. Sensing friction the reporter smiled reassuringly, "Listen, the other day, I was just teasing. Honestly, William and I are here for moral support not just a story." She whipped out a pad and a pencil, "Although we do actually need a story. Anything go horribly wrong today?"
Lily rolled her eyes, but nonetheless chatted to Sacharissa in-between serving customers.
Otto spent much of his time in demonstrations, he was quite the celebrity and ended up with a long list of portrait requests, again the deposits were happily collected by the Goblin clan. William clapped Otto on the back as he took a picture of an elderly lady and her cat.
"Hey vatch it!" Otto joked, "Ve don't want zem comink out blurred!"
"Oh sorry!" he smiled apologetically to the lady who didn't smile back. "Looks like it's all going well then?"
"I zink ve're doink Ok," he looked over at Lily who was in conversation with Jeff, inspecting the filter of his Pictsie.
"Are we still talking about the grand opening?" William quipped.
"I don't know, vere ve?" Otto smiled, handing the picture to the woman and her pet. She was most pleased and gave Otto a toffee.
"I heard there was a bit of bother yesterday? A relative turning up?" William enquired inquisitively.
"Villiam," Otto responded quietly but firmly, "Ve haff been friends a very lonk time, but if you mention any vord of any bozzer in zer Times zat vill change."
William blinked and nodded not probing further, but his curiosity remained piqued as ever it was. Changing the subject, "So, how are you going to manage two jobs then?"
"I von't be here all zer time," the vampire reassured his boss, "just on zer busy days." Otto was well aware of how important the coverage of the Rainbow Murders was. He indicated Dulling, "Zat boy is goink to go far, zer goblins are on top of most zings and Lily can handle herself perfectly vell." chuckling, "I'm just zer icink on zer biscuit."
Jeff stepped in and took several pictures of Team Pictsie in action, talked shop with Otto and then the Times left.
As trade began to slow each took time out for a quick sandwich and tea in the kitchen, a sort of luncheon tag before finally closing up at 5pm.
The till drawer was threatening not to shut given the amount of money in it. "I think I might cry," Lily admitted, giving each of her employees a hug and a bonus, partly so the till would shut. "You were all so marvelous!"
The goblins saluted, tucking the cash in their loincloths and rapidly shot off.
"Mr Dullink," Otto put a hand on the orc's shoulder, "I zink you haff found your callink."
Dulling gave a shy smile, "Thank you. Thank you for giving me the chance." he gave Lily a stack of Clacks slips, "These are order requests, Miss Flach. Should I reply to them now?"
Lily looked through them, astonished. It would take at least a month to fill the orders but would definitely make for some hefty profit. "No, no Mr Dulling. You get off home and get some rest. We'll see to it in the morning." She found a most interesting message halfway into the pile, "Otto, look at this!"
It was from Lady Margolotta. She requested, well the way it was worded it was more a demand, their presence at the next Temperance meeting as she would be in attendance. "Vell, vell...I did vonder how lonk zat vould take." Otto commented.
They bid Dulling goodnight then, once he had gone, they practically fell into each other's arms, exhausted, relieved the day had gone well, but mostly because that was exactly where they wanted to be.