Chapter 89.2 Lovegoods

I take out one of the "plates", which is a faceted, flat, polyhedral, transparent crystal of red color, with all its corners polished. — It's called a musical lollipop. — As I demonstrate the crystal, on one of the faces runs a legible inscription in Latin letters. — The crystal is a carrier of music.

— Why "lollipop"? — asks the man, already making notes in his notebook, while his daughter looks at the artifacts with interest.

— I noticed that in England they love various unusual sweets, so I decided to call my product a lollipop, just for fun. — I smile. — Such a name is easy to remember.

— It's true. How does it work? Do you need a magic spell?

— No. See the grooves in the pendant? — I'll show you. — The Lollipop is inserted into a pendant that can be worn around the neck or held in the hand, and the user can listen to the playback from the Lollipop. See the marks on the pendant? — The pendant with the charged carrier has been handed to the man and is now being studied by two pairs of eyes. — They are for starting, pausing, switching between recordings and adjusting the volume...

— Interesting, very interesting... — said the man with a twinkle in his eye. — How long does it last?

— The pendant is powered by the free natural radiation of the host's aura, so it doesn't need to be charged, but it won't work without a wizard. Now.

I stand up, walk over to the father and daughter, place the necklace on their hands and press the triangular "Play" button. The surprised looks of the Lovegoods, clearly listening to a piece by the great Bach, pleased me.

The volume control, rewind, and toggle buttons were displayed. In general, the standard set of buttons of an ordinary player. After a few minutes, the man removed the chain from his hands and handed it to Luna, who continued to study it.

— It's an amazing thing! And much more comfortable than a gramophone! And what a sound...

— I love music too, so I've been looking for ways to make my vision a reality. It will be sold with a set of five recorded crystals, a low-gold gift version, and a set of ten "lollipops". It will also be possible to purchase the Lollipops separately, either individually or in special "sets".

— And what determines the color of the lollipop? — The man is already working — you can see it.

— From nothing, the colors are completely random, the crystals are marked, as you can see, and in the sale each lollipop will be packed in a special envelope with a list of detailed information about the record.

— So it will be possible to choose music by color? That's an interesting idea. What kind of box is it?

— If the pendant is more of an individual item that can be used as a regular piece of jewelry, then the "Magic Music Box" is already for listening to music in company. The "Box" is capable of playing records quite loudly, which makes it an excellent and more perfect replacement for the gramophone. As you can see, inside there is a provision for placing ten "lollipops" at once, that is, you can simply switch to play the next crystal without changing them. In other words, you can simply make your favorite selection and enjoy music for a very long time, especially since each "lollipop" stores up to three hours of music.

The "box" can be taken to picnics, to friends, to visits, to travel. The possibility of voice control and animating charms allow the artifact to move independently, according to the commands of the owner. The "box" is charged by the touch of the owner's wand.

The artifacts also come standard with a detailed instruction manual, so there should be no problems using the artifacts. — Although there will always be fools, I'm sure the "lollipops" will be eaten more than once and not twice.

— Amazing stuff! I'm sure your products will delight the masses! — The Lovegoods are obviously impressed. — And how much will such a treat cost?

— The starting price for a standard starter set of one pendant and five crystals will be thirty Galleons. "A 'box' would cost one hundred gold pieces. Each individual 'lollipop' with a record would cost five galleons.

— Expensive... — Xenophilius stretched out his arms in disappointment. — Not everyone can afford such a purchase.

— You're right, but I can't work at a loss either, since the percentage of net profit is quite small. Unless special gifts and individual offers compensate my interest. In general, such a product can cost much more, and for foreigners it will be, but here in the UK the prices will be just right.

— Even at these prices, not everyone will buy it, and if they are higher, not many people will be interested. — The man continued to make notes, manually, and now he paused for a few minutes while Luna listened to the music, holding the pendant in her palm, eyes closed and smiling. — And what about the new pieces? Wealthy buyers will obviously want to add to their collection.

— This is foreseen and easily solved. There are so many composers and performers in the world, we will be constantly expanding the range of works, most likely there will be surveys about wishes and preferred styles of music. Individual commissions are possible.

— That's certainly a good thing. — the man nodded without taking his eyes off the notebook. — I understand that you, Sora, have decided to order a promotional item?

— That's right. With a detailed description of our conversation and high-quality photos. As a token of friendship, I'd like to give you the first samples of my products. — I hand the man a box with another pendant and a box with two dozen crystals. — This box is also for you. — I nod. — The instructions are inside the packages.

— No." Lovegood shook her head gravely. — This is too expensive a gift, my article is not worth that much ...

— You're wrong,— I smile, looking at the pleased girl. — Advertising is advertising, and how can you talk about my products without using them? Do not offend me refusal, and this is really a gift. Payment will be separate.

We looked into each other's eyes for a few seconds. Frankly, I like the honesty of this man, the existence of principles, purely human. And I also like his concern for his daughter, which is why he agreed to my proposal. Although the gifts would be enough to cover the price of the order. But for me personally, the word "gift" is what it means, not the way this word has become a disguise for a banal bribe. I don't like that.