Chapter 14

"Charlie Bucket's Test of Character"

Now the choices were narrowed to three candidates. Having been disposed of Ms. Beauregard, Wonka led the remaining candidates into the Fizzy Lifting Drinks room. Even though they were still too powerful to be sold to the general public, we were determined to use them to test whoever would be tempted. Hiding in far left corner of the room, I waited for the next candidate to test there luck and sure enough, it was Charlie Bucket and his grandfather.

"All right, it's the poor boy and his grandfather," I whispered into a radio. "Keep an eye on what happens."

"Yes, Mr. Wilkinson."

Having drank a bottle of the drinks, I carefully watched as they suddenly took to the air.

"Sir, they are in the air!" cried an Oompa Loompa over the radio.

"I'm aware of that!" I ordered. "They got themselves into this situation, now can get themselves out."

"But…"

"It's the test of character that we have been planning for, now let it run its course."

For a moment, the fear disappeared and the two of them seemed to be enjoying themselves. Still, they had to mind the fan at the top of the room. That was the next phase of their test of character.

"I'm a bird!"

"I'm a plane!"

"I'm…going too high! Hey, Grandpa I can't get down! Help! We're under the fan!"

"Help, we'll be cut to ribbons! We're in trouble, Charlie! I can't stop!"

"It's pulling me in!"

"I can't stop! I can't stop!"

"What do we do?"

"Grab onto something quick!"

"There's nothing to grab onto! Help! We're going to get killed!"

If there was ever a time to help yourself out, now was the time. Suddenly, the grandfather let out a belch and suddenly began to go down.

"I'm going down," he called. "Quick Charlie! Burp! Burp!"

"Help, I can't," Charlie cried. "Help!"

"Burp, damn you, burp," I whispered.

"You've got to burp Charlie, it's the only way!"

Finally, he began to burp and suddenly come down, although both of them had bumped against the ceiling. The continuous burps continued on and on until they finally reached the ground below.

"Grab onto me, Charlie," reassured Grandpa Joe. "We're going to be all right now."

After a few more burps, they were now safely out of harm's way.

"From now we on, we keep our feet on the ground," suggested Grandpa Joe. "Come on, let's catch up to the others."

Once the two of them left the room, I came out of my hiding place and immediately ordered the ceiling to be washed and sterilized.

"Arthur!" I heard a voice call out to me and it was Francis and Peter, racing into the room. "Arthur, we heard screaming, what happened here?"

"Mr. Bucket has undergone the first part of his character test," I said, much to their confusion. "Now it is a matter of whether or not he passes the second part of his test."

"What second part?"

"The second part that involves Mr. Wonka once he is the only one left," I explained.

"But…but he is only a child," protested Peter.

"Gentlemen, you know damn well that Wonka and I had been planning this for a long time," I countered, making it clear that I wasn't going to tolerate any hesitancy from anyone. "These children need to be tested because that is the only way anyone can succeed at anything. Why do you think that we let these children come in here for in the first place? To give away chocolate? That is just a cover story and you know it."

The two of them looked back up towards the ceiling and saw the work that was being done to clean the ceiling.

"It's all part of Mr. Wonka's plan, gentlemen," I continued. "Now, if you'll excuse me."

Leaving Francis and Peter to oversee the clean up efforts, I quickly made my way towards the garbage room underneath the golden egg room. It was here that Veruca Salt would undergo her own test of character.

However, both Francis and Peter were in dismay about what I had planned.

"I can't believe this, Peter," remarked Francis. "Are you seriously considering to go along with this?"

"Look, if Arthur says that Wonka knows what he is doing we have to trust him."

"But…but, look at this! Did you honestly think that this was all planned to begin with, Peter? That boy and his grandfather stole Fizzy Lifting Drinks and now he'll be disqualified just like the others. We'll be out of a job soon!"

"No, we won't be out of a job, Francis. I mean, look, do you even realize why Mr. Wonka even appointed Arthur as his second-in-command? Because he knows Arthur won't screw up. We have to trust him and Wonka."

Francis wasn't sure, but he had no other choice.

…

Meanwhile, I made my way down to the garbage room underneath the egg room. It was here that Veruca Salt would undergo her test of character.

"Why do I get the feeling that she is going to fail like all the others?" said a female Oompa Loompa, who was watching all the bad eggs getting incinerated with their droppings getting placed in a bucket. "I mean, not that you are entirely wrong, Mr. Wilkinson."

"Veruca is a bad egg," I remarked. "But she can prove herself wrong."

"But she won't."

"Just do as you are told," I ordered her. "Maybe she'll pass or maybe she'll not. All in all, Veruca will demand every single little thing we have."

I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out a notebook containing a list of written words that had been written over a period of time.

"And whatever she demands here will be written on the list," I said to myself. "What's more is that her father is a weak man, bowing to every single little demand his daughter makes. Hopefully what happens to them now will make them see the error of their ways and make them change for good."

…