It's a light piece of nonsense, but quite fun.

It's Christmas Eve, 1997, and Digby's got plans. He likes his food. Unfortunately, his leave's about to get cancelled, because two idiots crashed while tobogganing and someone's got to fill in for them on the XPR, aka. the Xmas Pudding Run. "Service slang for the delivery of the Christmas mail to the space station crews on the outer perimeter. At most, it's a twenty hour trip." (You can tell this story was written before the world invented emails.)

I love Digby's imagine spot when Dan breaks the bad news to him. A turkey, a Christmas pudding and some mince pies run away on little legs.

Anyway, Digby smuggles Christmas dinner on to the spaceship anyway (probably against regulations) and we're settling in for eight pages of gentle festivities when...

"We interrupt this programme with a police message from Unipol. Interspatial criminals Starbuck and Vulcani overpowered guards at Paxhurst Detention Ward and escaped. The two men, who were awaiting transfer to Venus Rehabilitation Centre, are believed to be armed with a paralysing pistol."

It's a good-natured little piece. Characteristically, Dan is good-natured about it all and makes a generous offer to these two crooks who are holding him at gunpoint. He knows that Starbuck's a good pilot. "Serve your term and I'll do anything I can to help you when you're released." Also, amazingly, Flamer IS ACTUALLY USEFUL.

I liked it. It's disposable, but not too bad for eight pages.