Early one drizzly morning, Max Kingsbrooke, as usual, waited patiently as Mr. Jones, the surly gent who drove the Hampton Road school bus to Greenfield High School, opened the door. Mr. Jones began his inspection of the bus, the windshield wipers, tires, and so on as Max slipped up the steps and down the aisle to his usual seat near the rear. He sat by the window and put his bookbag on the floor along with his scooter.

Outside inspection finished, Mr. Jones plonked himself in the driver's seat. He checked his controls inside the bus. The rain began to fall harder. Mr. Jones flicked on the headlights, then started the wipers. They swished across the broad front windows, clearing the view briefly as the rain fell harder. It beat against the roof and sides, pounding a steady tuneless rhythm.

Mr. Jones called the garage Dispatch. "Jones here. Bus is ready to go. I'll pick up my first passengers at Magnolia Road. Three students. Over." He shifted gears and the bus roared and grumbled as Jones drove out of the parking lot into streets beginning to overflow with rushing water.

Max wriggled, adjusting the fitted body brace he wore to treat scoliosis, pulled out his dispatch book and checked for a message from Enid. She'd sent a new post since the last message two days ago. He put the book on his bookbag and looked at the darkening clouds. Lightning flashed in the field near the bus garage, and thunder boomed deafeningly. Olga had found him and was trying harder to force him back to Avalon.

He found Enid's latest dispatch and began to read.