For a moment no one moved. Then Tom approached the gaunt prisoner.
“Robert,” he said gently, “I’m Tom Swift.”
The man looked up at Tom with pleading eyes. “You should never have come here,” he gasped.
“What do you mean?”
Robert strained against his bonds. “Tom,” he warned frantically, “my brother plans to destroy the atomic energy plant and do away with you and your father.”
Raymond’s eyes gleamed in the glaring light. “I’ll ruin all of them-the Swifts, the physicists too!” His voice rose to a screech. “I’ll smash the atom smashers.
Ha! That’s pretty good! I’ll turn the Citadel back into atoms. Nothing but atoms.”
He advanced menacingly toward Tom. “The atomic plant’s as good as wrecked, Swift. The damage to the thermopile has already been done. I’ve seen to that. It will blow up six hours from now!”
Tom, looking sideways at Bud, said calmly, “Maybe there was an outfield error in your calculations, professor!”
202 TOM SWIFT AND HIS GIANT ROBOT
Bud instantly interpreted the phrase as the code for “Grab this guy!” Both boys closed in on Raymond as he reached toward the switch of the machine on the table.
“When this switch is pulled it will blow up the whole cave and end it for all of us!” he screamed.
CHAPTER 25
ATOR’S TRIUMPH
AS RAYMOND reached for the switch, Tom and Bud dived at him. The screaming scientist toppled back, missing the fatal switch by inches! A moment later they had overpowered him. Tom found a set of keys and quickly released Robert Turnbull.
Rather than take the chance that the scientist would reach for the switch again, Bud and Tom manacled Raymond with the chains he had used to imprison his brother.