Some hours later they scrambled out of a taxi into a wide city street. Snow crunched beneath their shoes as they struggled to remove their heavy bags from the car.
Alice gawped through the enormous gates before them at the leviathan beyond. The factory was a cluster of skyscrapers in height but with a myriad of shapes and levels like that of a fantastical fortress. Huge power-station funnels dwarfed the pointed arches of the entrance building, sandwiching several thinner pipes as though the structure were some immense musical organ.
"That's just the tip of the iceberg," Charlie said with a grin, having seen her face.
He stepped up to the intercom resting on the wall beside the gate and pressed the cold metal button.
"Hey, it's Charlie. We're home," he spoke into the tiny circles of the speaker.
Ever punctual, the great gates whirred open and the young couple entered the white courtyard. Eager to be inside where it was warm, Charlie jogged up to the doors. Alice, however, was taking in all she could get. It wasn't as though this was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but even she couldn't be certain how long she would be close to Charlie and in turn see the wonders of a place so many were not permitted to see.
Her eyes traced the undisturbed lawn of snow, across a pair of rusted delivery trucks – also blanketed in white – and back to the looming mechanical doors as they separated in the middle to let them through.
The young chocolatier smiled, half-expecting a welcome in the form of a puppet show like the one he had experienced ten years ago, but all was quiet. His technical mentor was probably far too busy these days to bother with a celebration for his every return.
Charlie helped Alice cart her luggage into the long entrance hallway, the iron doors sealing behind them.
"Just leave them here," he said, tossing his jacket onto the carpet.
Alice raised an eyebrow.
"On the floor?"
"Yes. Trust me," Charlie replied. He took off her coat and dropped it on top of his jacket. "Now watch."
They waited for a few moments. A metallic chittering noise started up and a dozen robots shaped like beetles, each one about a foot high, scuttled out from an opening in the wall. Tiny pincers squeaked out from their shells and clamped onto the discarded belongings then, with all the grace in which they'd arrived, they scuttled away coats and all.
"Where'd they go?" Alice wondered as the flap in the wall closed.
"To the cloakroom. We'll find all our stuff in our rooms later on, you'll see."
They journeyed on along the corridor. Even though Charlie had not omitted telling his girlfriend some of the miracles of Wonka's factory, Alice was still surprised as the ceiling dipped so low she had to bend over at the end of the passage. At first she had thought it to be a dead end, but she watched Charlie pull out a key from his shirt pocket. She followed his hand down and was astonished to see him fit it into the lock of a door that couldn't have been more than four inches tall. Before she could question, he pushed the wall open and escorted her into the Chocolate Room.
Though not as bright as it had been when Charlie had first seen it, this room was still a marvel. Trees and hills, rocks and flowers, all sparkling in various sizes and most importantly – all designed to be eaten. For the winter season the entire room was bathed in a soothing blue light and every blade of grass (each blade made from sugar candy) was frosted with icing.
Charlie took Alice's hand and walked with her over the green bridge that traversed a shimmering river of flowing warm chocolate. This wasn't so much a factory as a painting from a fairytale.
A crooked cottage curled up in the middle of the room, basking underneath two giant shakers that swung back and forth. They sprinkled the icing sugar, giving the illusion of the house being inside a huge snowglobe.
Charlie had opened the gate and strolled up to the door ready to knock, when a voice called from the riverbank.
"Over here, Charlie!"
The couple turned and made their way across the meadow, avoiding squashing some marshmallow toadstools. Standing at the edge of the chocolate river was the figure of global candy-making legend.
Mr Wonka awaited them smartly, equipped with dark regalia; a long velvet coat of glistening black, the top hat of the same tone with two crimson ribbons training above the brim. His pallid face was masked with a pair of large sunglasses that verged on ski goggles. Hands, gloved in purple plastic, cupped over the top of a walking cane he leaned on for style rather than necessity.
Charlie rushed forwards to give his friend a hearty hug. Alice noted that Mr Wonka received this with a slight wince, or was it the hint of habitual reluctance? He patted the young man's shoulder as they parted.
"Are you going out?" Charlie asked the older chocolatier, pointing out his warm attire.
"No," said William. "I just felt a little cold today, that's all."
Charlie was about to argue that the temperature in the Chocolate Room was already stifling but the cough from beside him and the way Mr Wonka was tilting his head told him there were more important things to talk about.
"Oh, Willy, I'd like you to meet Alice," he introduced and took her hand to bring her into the head chocolatier's presence.
Mr Wonka smiled with a perfect row of teeth. Eerily perfect.
"Well ding dong the merry-oh," he sang, without moving a thing save his mouth. "Glad to meet ya, little lady."
Alice peered uncomfortably into the glassy darkness of the man's shades, not even certain if he was looking back at her or not. She offered a hand for him to shake, but he either did not understand the gesture or simply did not want to do so.
"Er…hi," she managed.
"So," said Charlie, breaking up the tension of which he'd been unaware. "Are we going in the house for dinner? If you don't mind me saying, Willy, I'm starved."
"Oh!" Mr Wonka burst out as though snapping from a daze. "No worries Charlie. I got it all set out in my dining room. It's been itchin' for just such an occasion. Besides -." He broke into a whisper for effect. "Nanny Gigi's kipping in the house. Don't wanna go waking her now do we?"
Charlie agreed. Grandma Georgina or 'Nanny Gigi', as Mr Wonka had taken to calling her, was his sole surviving grandparent. Sadly the others had passed on through his teenage years, but it was to be expected from their age and they had been happy. She may not have been his favourite relative but she had always been there to give him helpful advice, even if it was as jumbled as 'don't forget to take the socks out of the toaster before the blackbird pickles them'.
"What about Mum and Dad?" he asked suddenly. "Aren't they in there?"
"No, Charlie. I thought I told ya they went on vacation for the weekend?" William answered with a frown. "Anyhow, let's move along. The kitchen staff won't want us to be dallying around here all night."
With that, the mystifying chocolatier swept off further along the bank, the folds of his thick coat fluttering at his back.
Charlie took Alice's hand once more and walked with her a little way behind Mr Wonka.
"Isn't he great?" He beamed at her. "I told you he'd give us a proper welcome."
Alice forced a smile.
"You weren't wrong when you said he was pale," she whispered.
"Ah he's always been that way, though he doesn't look all that well I must admit. Probably been working himself too hard, I expect. He'll be fine," Charlie assured.
His sweetheart felt doubtful.
"I'm not certain he likes me all that much," she said softly.
"Of course he does," Charlie said, squeezing her hand gently. "He's just a little nervy when it comes to meeting new people. You'd know if he didn't like you, believe me." He gave a small chuckle.
Alice nodded, hiding the worried sensation that strummed her spine.
A few feet ahead of them Mr Wonka paused for half a step, and then continued in his stride.