S observes the building, at the darkened old bricks worn by the “weather, salt, and smoke.”  However, the newer portions of the structure are bright and clean. S questions what may have happened and have gone wrong with this building. Then S hears about Vevoda creating an annex, where secretly something was manufactures and no one was permitted except him and his uppermost circle of management. He imported workers from other places(far away). The import of the workers from the ships is carried out at night and they are barely seen arounnd the city.

Jen thinks that the story gets surreal and wonders the description of the workers and assumes they could be oompa-loompas.

Starts to get a little surreal here, doesn’t it? We never get a description of these workers. They could be oompa-loompas for all we know.