Raising Steam

Itâe(tm)s all change for Moist von Lipwig, swindler, conman, and (naturally) head of the Royal Bank and Post Office. A steaming, clanging new invention, driven by Dick Simnel, the man with tâe(tm)flat cap and tâe(tm)sliding rule, is drawing astonished crowds - including a few particularly keen young men armed with notepads and very sensible rainwear âe" and suddenly itâe(tm)s a matter of national importance that the trains run on time. Moist does not enjoy hard work. His . . .vital input at the bank and post office consists mainly of words, which are not that heavy. Or greasy. And it certainly doesnâe(tm)t involve rickety bridges, runaway cheeses or a fat controller with knuckledusters. What he does enjoy is being alive, which may not be a perk of running the new railway. Because, of course, some people have OBJECTIONS, and theyâe(tm)ll go to extremes to stop locomotion in its tracks.