Tom and Bud grinned, knowing that they were being needled. The four young people dated frequently, despite the heavy schedule of work Tom and Bud carried on.
36 TOM SWIFT AND HIS ROCKET SHIP
Tom had sent for his flying laboratory, the Sky Queen, to be brought from the Swifts’ main experimental center at Shopton. His father would fly the giant ship to Fearing Island. Sandy Swift, Tom’s attractive blond sister who looked very much like him and was an expert flier, would pilot a second plane to take the visitors home again.
“I hope we get the rest of the day off, genius boy,” Bud said slyly. “I haven’t seen Sa-your family in nearly a month.”
“No work from four p.m. until six a.m. tomorrow,” the young inventor agreed.
“What’s happening then?” Bud asked.
“You’re piloting the Sky Queen as high as you can take her while I test out the fuel kicker.”
At exactly four o’clock the Flying Lab roared in over the island. The flaming jet lifters lowered it onto a carpet of specially built, heat-resistant boiler-iron splash plate. A few moments later Sandy Swift made a perfect landing in a small jet plane.
“Hi, Phyl!” Tom and Bud cried, as the pretty brunette daughter of Ned Newton, Mr. Swift’s close friend and business associate, opened the door and Was lifted down.
“Hello, Sis!” Tom called as Sandy followed.
“Good to see you.” Bud grinned. “And how did your copilot do?”
Phyl made a face. “I’ll stick to riding horses,” she said.
Mr. and Mrs. Swift came down the ramp of the Sky Queen and received a warm welcome from the
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