The Great Glass Elevator arrived at the mouth of one of the most gigantic rooms in the factory. Rows upon rows of humming conveyor belts shifted regiments of chocolate slabs; hundreds of robotic arms lifted the bars to and fro, sealing them in shining paper and foil and dropping them into cardboard packages for delivery. Above these, seemingly purposeless machines hovering on jets of steam pootled about the rafters, every so often bearing a candied treat out of a high hatchway.

Edwards's curiosity overwhelmed him. He waddled towards the active scene and banged his head on the elevator door.

Mr Wonka cringed and pushed a button to open the doors. He nodded to the Oompa Loompa in gratitude as he led the eager boy into a vital organ of his factory.

"Don't pay too much attention to this, Mr Edward," said the chocolatier as he hurried through one of the aisles. "It's all far too corporate in here, but it has to be done I guess. People always like the original product. They can be so ignorant like that."

Edward trudged past one of the conveyor belts, watching the journey of a processed Wonka bar with fascination. Every fine detail drawn by the robots, every moment one of the brown slabs was flipped by an accurate claw, he absorbed in a bittersweet trance.

William slowed in his tracks when he realised the boy was not keeping up. He rotated with the aid of his cane.

"Mr Edward, is there a problem?"

The scissor-handed boy gazed sadly at the clockwork motions of the belt.

"My father made something like this," was his reason.

"Oh," said Mr Wonka, gritting his eerily perfect teeth. "That's…inappropriate. Let's go."

Fortunately the chocolatier's rudeness had little effect on gentle Edward, and the boy followed Mr Wonka without hesitation. They reached the back of the room, seemingly a plain wall.

William tapped his cane tip in a diamond shape against it and a section slid back to let them pass. This next area of the factory could only be described as a boardroom. Several Oompa Loompas were seated around a long table, except for one standing beside a flipchart at the back. Two of those seated were children, for their features were pudgier and they seemed to find whatever was being discussed highly amusing.

"Boom!" cried one of the children as Mr Wonka took a seat at one end of the table.

"Hi!" said William in his best businessman voice, which wasn't really business-like at all. "How's the firework show for next monthcoming along?"

All the small people gave him a thumbs up.

"Swell! I wondered if I could ask a teensy favour…"