A World of Our Own || Wonka (2023)

Chapter Eight - When Do We Start?

"Mr. Wonka! A word in private, if I may."

"Uh- certainly!" Willy said, keeping up his cheerful tone, he turned to me and Noodle. "You need to get out of here, Cora. Noodle."

I looked up at Willy with worrying eyes. "But what if-"

"Don't worry about me, Cora. I'm  going to be fine. I've talked my way out of tighter spots than this. I'll meet you back at the cart," he reassured. "Noodle, get the giraffe milk back with Cora, if you don't mind?"

Noodle nodded and held my hand, running off with the bucket of giraffe milk.

-

"Mr Wonka! Good of you to join us."

"Im not late am I?" Willy asked.

"No. Cutting it a bit fine, but--"

Willy walked towards me and brushed my cheek. "Cora, you should take more care of yourself, there's dirt on your face- Tiddles been pulling his weight?"

I flushed at both his actions and words, but nodded in thanks.

"As a matter of fact, Tiddles is a marvel and productivity is up thirty percent."

"We took the afternoon off," chuckled Chucklesworth.

Crunch glared at the 'comedian'. "But that's not the point."

Chucklesworth pointed at Crunch. "That's the point."

"Not now, Larry."

"Sorry."

"The point is," Crunch went back to Willy. "where have you three been?"

"And why do you smell of giraffe?" Piper asked.

Willy sighed. "Guess we do owe you an explanation. Truth is we're chocolate makers."

"Not just any chocolate maker. The best in the world." came Noodle's voice. She was walking down the stairs with food.

"Noodle's flattering me. But she's right. They're exquisite."

Noodle now stood beside me.

"The plan is to sell chocolate and pay off Mrs Scrubitt. At least, that was the plan until..."

Crunch gave a large sigh. "Let me guess. You had a little run-in with the Chief of Police."

"How did you know that?" I asked, puzzled.

"Because that's what happens to anyone who sells chocolate in this town."

"Why?" Noodle questioned, waking a step forward.

"Three reasons, Noodle- Slugworth, Fickelgruber and Prodnose- The Chocolate Cartel."

"How do you know all this?"

Crunch looked over us. "Because I was Slugworth'saccountant. For a week at least."

"Hold up- whaaaaaat..."

He glared at me, but then continued, "It seemed a straightforward job until I realized there were two sets of books: one for the authorities -- and one which told the truth.

"Slugworth, Fickelgruber, and Prodnose have been in cahoots for years. They've been watering down their chocolate and storing the excess in a vault deep beneath the Cathedral, guarded round the clock by a corrupt cleric and five hundred chocoholic monks.

"The only way to get in is to godown a secret elevator and past mistress of the Keys -- a subterranean sentinel who hasn't seen sunlight in years. There's thousands of gallons of chocolate down there and they use that chocolate to bribe, blackmail, and bludgeon the competition.