Preston felt his face go hot with shame. Mellors! Gunderson! They would stick two of his old sidekicks on the job of guarding him.
"Please acknowledge," Mellors said.
"The iceworms were not expecting any mail—just the mailman."
Preston paused. Then: "Postal Ship 1872, Lieutenant Preston aboard. I acknowledge message."
There was a stunned silence. "Preston? Hal Preston?"
"The one and only," Preston said.
"What are you doing on a Postal ship?" Mellors asked.
"Why don't you ask the Chief that? He's the one who yanked me out of the Patrol and put me here."
"Can you beat that?" Gunderson asked incredulously. "Hal Preston, on a Postal ship."