Mothstorm

When the festive season arrives at Larklight, so does some unsettling news. A sinister-looking cloud is fast approaching the outskirts of the Known Universe. The closest planet, Georgium Sidus, has but two human inhabitants: the missionary Revd Cruet and his daughter Charity. Their most recent communication read: ''Great danger . . . imperative that -''

And so, aboard a naval gunship, Art, Myrtle a...