Appleton, Victor – Tom Swift Jr 04 – And His Giant Robot

“The Tomasite layers will protect us from any remote control, I’m sure.”

Tom gave orders for the Sky Queen to be taken out, asking that as much publicity as possible be given to this to notify his enemy. Within a few minutes there was a bustle of activity. Men in gray coveralls scrambled around the roof of the huge hangar. Soon, to the whine of hydraulic lifts, the roof of the building split in two, each part rolling into the walls, and its subsurface floor rose toward the concrete apron.

A huge, gleaming stabilizer fin lifted into view. Then the immense body and wings appeared. The ship rested parallel to the ground on its tricycle landing gear.

“They’re putting on a good show,” Bud remarked.

Tom scanned the sky for any plane that might be hovering nearby, but there was none in sight. He hoped his plan would not be a failure.

“Let’s go for the little robot now,” he suggested to Bud.

As the boys started off, they met Chow and asked him if he wanted to go along and see the small robots in the model division. Tom explained that each robot had a special experimental function in connection with his giant robot.

MENACING BIRDS 33

“I reckon I kin stand it.” The cook grinned. “Mebbe one o’ these lil ole robots will be better for that rodeo than a giant.”

The three entered a wing of one of the buildings given over to modelmaking.

They found six-foot, heavy-set Arvid Hanson, head of this section, in his office.

He swiveled around on his workbench stool. “Hello,” he said. “Close the door behind you, Chow. It’s noisier than a boiler factory around here today.”