The Wizard of Is And the Power of Not

You will believe in magic. "Why?" you ask. The Wizard of Is is why. Meet Albert Pintergrass, future wizard, at forty-three-at least he could be, if he can manage to survive long enough-in a magical land called Eez where the mystery of magic is at work and where there is power in magic. The power of magic works through a pair of simple gemstones called reds and nots, in realms with names like Is and Siss, Dakks and Melrose, and a former realm called Ultra, in a place all wizards call home, Eez. In Eez, we find brooms for flying-if you want to clean the floor, use a sweep; brooms are for riding, not cleaning. There are wands for zapping out magic on command, medical miracles performed by angels. And winks for shifting ahead or back through time or space-choose one please, because you can't do both at the same time, you know. Flyers to transport one from point A to point B, so much better than any airplane ride. Spells to cast for just about anything, Potions whose motions can help, or hurt, depending on the turn on one's wrist, for whatever ails you, and, of course, there is the School. That is right, I did say school-a really, awesome school. A university in fact, called Marvels and Mirth - School of Wizardry and Witchcraft-a magic-filled learning center for anyone who qualifies as a potential future witch or wizard. "So how did a forty-plus outsider qualify to become a wizard?" you ask. It's in the blood. Albert Pintergrass has a bloodline tie to magic. He doesn't know it and doesn't want to know it. So distantly removed is that connection that even his parents probably wouldn't have known about it. Isn't that how it always happens? The important part is that he is related. So he is qualified to "try out." He is needed to continue as the last in a line of rulers called guardians. When the last ruler of Is dies of natural causes-she was a hundred years older that Moses you know-an heir must be produced to take her place. Otherwise, the Realm of Is wi