The executive sedan left the asphalt and rolled onto a dirt road worn down by trucks and construction equipment. Despite the excellent suspension, the car was shaken mercilessly by the potholes. How it managed to reach its destination at all was known only to God.
Before the passengers' eyes stretched a picturesque meadow, a water tower, a tall wind turbine with large blades, and two stone buildings. In the distance, a small lake could be seen.
The passengers stepped out of the car.
"What's that?" Stephen, who was usually silent, asked Richard, nodding toward the semicircular structure.
"An airplane hangar."
"A hangar?!" The driver's eyes widened. "Made of stone and with stained-glass windows?"
"The designer saw it that way, and I liked it."
Richard had no desire to admit that such a structure was far cheaper than ordering a regular metal hangar.
"Not a bad castle," Mr. Potter said, his gaze fixed on the stone house built in the Gothic style and decorated with gargoyle statues. "Even if I didn't know who you ordered the buildings from, I'd still figure it out—wizards…"
"It's an office building," Richard corrected him. "And you know that perfectly well, sir."
"Hmph!" The detective let out a meaningful grunt. "If it weren't for the windmill and the water tower… Only wizards could build out of such an expensive material as stone these days."
"Mr. Potter, you were with me when we visited the 'architect,'" Richard smirked. "Don't pretend you've forgotten that for wizards it's actually a very cheap material. Considering their abilities, it's quite easy to travel to the mountains, fill an expanded-space container with stones using levitation, and then bind it all together with charms in whatever shape you like. Besides, scientists say stone is the material of the future."
"How's that?" Detective Potter asked skeptically.
"Imagine an expedition landing on a distant planet. They only brought the bare essentials—whatever could fit on their spaceship. What would they build with? Obviously, the easiest thing is whatever lies under their feet—stone. They take out antigravity platforms and drones with laser cutters. The drones cut stone blocks, load them onto the platforms, transport them to the site of the future settlement, and stack them into buildings. The first colonies would also be entirely made of stone."
"Why not wood?" Harry asked, listening in with curiosity.
"No guarantee there'll be trees growing on another planet. And even if there are, they might be dangerous for humans—viruses, allergens, larvae of alien insects, and so on. But stone is stone—even on Alpha Centauri."
"And still, stained glass in an airplane hangar…" Scott drawled.
"Original and luxurious," Richard finished for him. "Please, come inside."
Inside, the building turned out to be thoroughly modern: electric lighting, evenly painted walls in light colors, durable flooring, and plenty of glass and steel in the décor. You'd never guess you were inside something that looked like a castle from the outside. It was an ordinary office—boring to the point of grinding one's teeth—of the sort you could find everywhere. Even the large ventilation duct running beneath the ceiling reminded you of that. No embellishments—just plain silvery metal.
The spacious garage for four cars looked more like a modern auto workshop of its era, equipped with the latest technology.
Only when one entered the potion-brewing room and the alchemical laboratory did it become clear that this was a magical place. And while the alchemists' lair could still pass for some kind of underground drug lab, identifying the purpose of the hall filled with cauldrons of various sizes would be difficult for an ordinary person.
"Donky, do you like this house?" Richie asked the house-elf once they were alone.
"Yes, Lord. There is much space here."
"That's good to hear. Donky, there are several bedrooms on the third floor. The largest one is yours."
"Sir, Donky does not understand."
The house-elf looked at his master in confusion with his large eyes.
"Donky, wizards will soon start working here. They'll be enchanting various items for me. I want you to keep things in order around here."
"Will Donky have much work, sir?" the elf said phlegmatically. "Donky is happy."
"But that won't be your main task."
The house-elf straightened up and prepared to listen carefully. His large ears trembled slightly.
"What must Donky do, sir?"
"You must keep an eye on the wizards. Unnoticed! That's very important. I'm giving them a lot of money, so first of all we need to make sure they spend it properly and don't steal too much."
"Sir, Donky will not allow the mages to steal from the master."
"No, no, Donky. Your task is different—observe them and report to me. You're a scout. Many people steal, so the main thing is that the mages steal only a little and don't cross the line. As long as they produce good results, I'll turn a blind eye and collect compromising information."
"Donky understands, sir. Donky will secretly watch the wizards and report everything to the master."
"Written reports once a month. A personal report only in emergencies. Donky, I don't have time to listen to daily updates. I hope you know how to read and write?"
(End of Chapter)
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