Twelve strangers, two ghosts, and the Devil--while sharing a long railroad journey--concoct a storybook of tales and trifles as hours of blank pages unfurl ahead of them. Not since Chaucer's pilgrims hit the road with tongues wagging have travelers had this much babble and gabble to share with their fellow wayfarers. Meanwhile, glimpses of the expansive, crumbling mural referred to as America flash past the windows, and the lies, the truths, and the grandiose exaggerations keep coming on both sides of the glass.

Talk is cheap and tickets are cheaper, but what are the rules? First of all--as your mother often told you--be sure you are wearing clean underwear because anything can happen. Second, recognize that there aren't any rules. It's every passenger for himself.

Sayville Tales is a tragicomic hotchpotch of hot air on wheels. It's also a glimpse of happenstance's possibilities, resembling a roll of vividly imagined wallpaper imprinted with a design that never repeats itself unless it's for a greater effect. The real question is, how could you possibly know what the ride is like if you don't get on the train?