The day before leaving the Imperial Capital, Richard woke earlier than everyone else in the family.
It was still dark outside, and only the butler was setting the table in the dining room.
"What would you like for breakfast this morning, young master Richard?"
"The same as yesterday is fine, thank you."
The butler gave a slight bow and retreated toward the kitchen. The just-right degree of attentiveness in his movements had remained unchanged for days—not too much, not too little.
When breakfast was served, Richard quickly finished his fried eggs and toast, then stood up from his chair after finishing his tea.
He slung on his backpack and went through the hallway, leaving by the side door.
The streets were nearly empty in the early morning. The only sounds were the rattle of the milk cart and the hour striking from the clock tower.
By the time the six chimes had faded, he had reached the bus stop on the corner.
After about ten minutes, a double-decker bus came from the east.
He climbed to the upper deck and took a window seat.
The bus crossed the Imperial Capital from west to east, then turned northeast.
The scenery outside kept changing: rows of shops, churches, parks, bridges, then ever-wider stretches of grassland and increasingly sparse buildings.
The engine strained and roared on every uphill stretch, and the heavy smell of gasoline billowed up from beneath the bus.
Richard covered his nose and mouth. For the first time, he thought Greenwood's school bus counted as high-end.
About thirty minutes later, the bus pulled into the terminal.
The driver pulled the handbrake. The brake pads shrieked against the wheel rims, and Richard jumped off.
The first thing he noticed when he stepped onto the streets of the Academy District was how