fleeing crowd. Vincent pulled hard on the speaker wire once again, and the kite flew just above the crowd, zapping the
heads of several tall bald men. Vincent reached down and pushed the off button. The kite instantly fell to the floor.
“Sorry. It’s a prototype,” Vincent said with a smile.
THE WONDROUS MR. WHIZ
24
Howard G. Whiz was thirty-seven years old when his father died. Even though they hadn’t spoken in years, the news of his father’s death devastated him.
Howard’s father had left no will. So, as an only child, Howard inherited his father’s massive fortune, a fortune built on
young Howard’s inventions. Howard also inherited the Carlisle, a six-story gothic mansion located in the heart of New York
City, across the street from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Shortly after the funeral, Howard closed the Whizzer Toy factory and moved into his father’s house. For the next three years
he lived alone on the top floor of the Carlisle. Then, the morning of his fortieth birthday he called four former Whizzer
Toy employees: a computer programmer, an artist, a brilliant physicist named Fayman, and a poet named Earl. He invited this
select group of former employees to a dinner where he unveiled his plans to launch a new and improved Whizzer Toys. Howard
G. Whiz, with the help of his longtime assistant Calli and the four talented employees, launched one of the most spectacularly
successful toy companies in history.
The new Whizzer Toy Company operated for the next forty-three years out of the first five floors of the Carlisle. In his desire
to cut out greedy middlemen, Howard decided to sell his inventions directly to his customers through a catalog called the
Wondrous Whizzer Wishbook. Howard insisted that only “the most amazing magical toys” be included in the Wishbook. He put out
twenty editions over the years, but it had been a long time since the last Wishbook was published, and because of Howard’s
age, many people feared it would be the last.
LUCKY BREAK
25
Aunt Bonnie collected salt and pepper shakers. She had thousands of them on display in her apartment.
“And I got this one from your Uncle Ernie. Oh boy, did he love to fish. See, the salt and pepper comes out of the top of the
bobbers.” Aunt Bonnie laughed as she held two oversized ceramic salt and pepper shakers shaped like fishing bobbers. “And
these were my first rooster shakers. Of course now I have hundreds of roosters, chickens, turkeys—you name a bird and I’ve
got a salt and pepper shaker of it.”
“It’s an amazing collection,” Stella said.
“Thanks, hon. Now, do you have enough blankets, dear? Are you going to be warm enough? It is so much fun to have people staying
with me. I want to make sure you’re warm enough. No one has used those back bedrooms in, well… in a long time.”
Vincent looked out the window as their taxi pulled up. “We have to go to dinner, Aunt Bonnie. Our cab is here.”
“Okay. Now here is the key. I can’t stay up late like you young kids. Just come in and make yourself at home. My home is your
home. You know that, Vincent. You know that.”
“I know. Thank you,” Vincent said.
Vincent and Stella walked toward the door.
“I will be gone by the time you kids get up in the morning. I like to be at the museum by five thirty. I make the coffee.
But I will meet you at the show by eight. I’m so excited, Vincent. I wouldn’t miss it. I know you are going to do great. Just
great, hon.” She kissed Vincent on the cheek.
Vincent and Stella got out of the taxicab at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 78th Street. Vincent looked up at the ornate building
and asked the cab driver if he was sure this was the right place.
“This is it,” the cabbie said. “This is the Carlisle, home to world-famous toymaker Howard G. Whiz.”
“I can’t believe it,” Vincent said. “I’ve walked past this building nearly every day of my life. I had no idea Mr.
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