α (alpha) Aquilae, the thirteenth-brightest star visible in Earth's sky, and the brightest star in the constellation Aquila the Eagle. Altair is a dwarf white star (not to be confused with a "white dwarf") of type A, about ten times brighter than Earth's Sun, and about 17 lightyears distant.

There is no canonical information on how many planets circle this star, but it has at least one where life has arisen and wizards are working. While out on her Ordeal and trying to find a way to deal with the Lone Power, Dairine comes across a case study telling how an Altairan wizard appeared to have solved one of its species' most terrible problems -- apparently something to do with the texture of the Altairans' fur -- simply by inviting someone it knew to be overshadowed by the Lone One to dinner. Dairine toys briefly with the idea of buying the Lone Power a hot dog, which seems on the surface to make as much sense as this solution: then, probably very wisely, puts the idea aside and goes back to working with Gigo. (HW)

The condition in which the Lone Power abstains from a wizard's Ordeal, either simply by not showing up, or by putting in an appearance and declaring that It doesn't intend to participate.

(See also Abstainee.)

A wizard from whose Ordeal the Lone Power has abstained: so that the wizard in question either does not meet the Lone One while solving whatever problem requires his/her attention, meets It without conflict (sometimes It actually verbally declines), or does not appear to have had an Ordeal at all.

The sixth novel in the Young Wizards series.

Back-cover blurb: