The executive sedan left the asphalt pavement and slid onto a dirt road, compacted by trucks and construction equipment. Despite its excellent suspension, the car shook mercilessly over the bumps. How it reached its destination, God only knows.
The passengers' gaze was met by a picturesque meadow, a water tower, a tall wind turbine with large blades, and two stone buildings. A small lake was visible in the distance.
The passengers left the vehicle.
"What's this?" the usually silent Stephen asked Richard, nodding toward the semicircular building.
- 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 didn't want to admit that such a structure was much cheaper than ordering a regular metal hangar.
"Not a bad castle," Mr. Potter said, his gaze fixed on the Gothic-style stone house, adorned with gargoyle statues. "Even if I didn't know who you commissioned the building from, I'd still have figured it out-wizards..."
"It's an office building," Richard corrected. "And you know that perfectly well, sir."
"Hmm!" the detective let out a meaningful chuckle. "If it weren't for the windmill and the water tower... Only wizards could build from such an expensive material as stone these days."
"Mr. Potter, you were with me at the 'architect,'" Richard grinned. "Don't pretend you've forgotten that it's a very cheap material for wizards. Given their capabilities, it's quite simple to travel to the mountains, levitate stones into a container with expanded space, and then bind it all together with charms in any shape. In fact, scientists say stone is the material of the future."
"What do you mean?" Detective Potter asked incredulously.
Let's say an expedition arrives on a distant planet. They have only the bare essentials, whatever fits on the spaceship. What are they supposed to build from? Of course, the easiest thing is to use what's underfoot-stone. They get antigravity platforms and drones with laser cutters. They cut stone blocks, load them onto the platforms, transport them to the future settlement site, and arrange the blocks into buildings. The colonists' first settlements are also built entirely of stone.
"Why not wood?" Harry asked, warming his ears with curiosity.
"It's not a given that trees will grow on another planet. And if they do, they could be dangerous to humans: viruses, allergens, alien insect larvae, and so on. And a rock is still a rock, even on Alpha Centauri."
"And yet, the stained glass windows in the airplane hangar..." Scott drawled.
"Original and rich," Richard finished the man's sentence. "Come in."
Inside the building, everything was modern: electric lighting, smooth walls painted light colors, durable flooring, and lots of glass and steel trim. You'd never guess you were inside what looked like a castle from the outside. It was a regular, teeth-grindingly boring office, the kind you'd find everywhere. Even the large ventilation duct in the ceiling was a reminder of that. No embellishments-plain silver metal.
The spacious garage for four cars is more reminiscent of a modern auto repair shop for those times, equipped with the latest technology.
Only when you enter the potion brewery and alchemy lab do you realize you've entered a magical place. While the alchemists' lair might have resembled an underground drug lab, the room with its pile of cauldrons of varying sizes would be difficult for the average person to identify.
"Donkey, do you like this house?" Richie asked the house elf when they were alone.
- Yes, Lord. There is plenty of room here.
"That's good. Donkey, there are several bedrooms on the third floor. The largest one is yours."
- Sir, Donkey doesn't understand.
The house elf looked at his master with bewilderment and his big eyes.
"Donkey, wizards will be working here soon. They'll be enchanting various items for me. I want you to keep order here."
"Will Donkey have a lot of work, sir?" the elf said phlegmatically. "Donkey is happy."
- But this will not be your main task.
The brownie straightened up and prepared to listen attentively. His large ears perked up.
- What should Donkey do, sir?
"You must keep an eye on the wizards. Discreetly! This is very important. I allocate a lot of money to them, so the first thing I need to do is make sure they spend it wisely and don't steal too much."