My heart racing with the awareness of where I was, I turned to Lizzie and shouted over the noise of the engine and the bus wheels clattering on the pavement, “You’re rebels?”

She gave me a reassuring smile. “There is nothing treasonous about what we’re doing here. Do you think this is wrong?”

I honestly didn’t know what to think. I’d heard rumors about this group in New Haven, where some university students had supported the cause, but my father hadn’t taken the rebels seriously. He’d said it was merely young men being foolish. I didn’t think it wise to say this while I was at their mercy. “We are perhaps going a trifle fast for safety,” I suggested, holding my bag with one hand while I gripped the edge of my seat with the other.

She laughed. “Yes, I suppose we are, but we’re merely proving that this machine is as good as any magical engine. Usually we’d travel at a more reasonable speed.”

There was a shout from the back of the bus, and I looked over my shoulder to see a man positioned at the rear window waving frantically. Colin noticed the gesture, stopped singing, and nodded. Then he leaned out the front window and signaled Alec, who frowned and adjusted a lever. The bus picked up speed, making even more alarming noises. I was afraid it would fall apart around us. “What’s happening?” I asked Lizzie.

“The police are giving chase. You were right about us going too fast.”

“The police?” I squeaked in horror. With a criminal record, I could never find a position in a good home. I wondered if the authorities would believe this band of dangerous rebels had kidnapped me.

I glanced anxiously over my shoulder again and saw the rear lookouts grinning broadly. “They’ve given up!” one shouted. Colin raised his arms over his head in triumph.

His sister shook her head. “They’ll signal ahead and cut us off!” she warned. “We should stop now!”

“The race is still on!” he cried out. “We don’t stop until we’ve won!”

The magical carriage kept pace with us. The driver must have been a real gamesman, for the police pursuit hadn’t deterred him. We’d reached the lower boundary of Central Park, which meant we were within twenty blocks of my destination. “Come on,” I pleaded under my breath, unsure whether I was egging on the engine or urging our competitor to give up so the race would end. The park passed by in a green blur as we rattled furiously up the avenue. I couldn’t even tell how many blocks we’d traveled, as each cross street went by in a flash.