“Since it’s only a crow you’re after, I won’t invite 36 TOM SWIFT AND HIS GIANT ROBOT
myself along. But when you boys are going on a long trip, count me in.”
“Okay, Sandy,” said Bud. “But we’d have to be sure you wouldn’t be a target for remote control before we’d take you.” As the girl grimaced, he added, “I’ll admit you’d make a swell decoy, though!”
Laughing, Sandy waved good-by to Bud and Tom as they left for the plant.
During the two hours remaining before departure, Tom made a careful inspection of all equipment in the Flying Lab. Then he checked to make certain that one of his drone planes was berthed in the Sky Queen.
This drone was a lance-nosed, pilotless jet. equipped with a powerful landing forcer that enabled it to capture intruding planes and steer them back by radio control. Tom had used a fleet of these drones to protect his Fearing Island rocket base. Now he intended to use one to capture the crow, if possible, and hoped that his invention had more pulling power than the machinery inside the mysterious mechanical bird.
Next, Tom left to get a portable control panel that gave the small walking robot its orders. After this was set in place in the Flying Lab, the young inventor went to get Walter. To his satisfaction, he noticed a plane flying at great speed high above the plant.
“I hope Flash Ludens was in that plane,” Tom murmured, “and that he’ll be back.”
Hanson met him at the door of his office and they MENACING BIRDS 37
carried the small walking robot outdoors. Then, in full view, Tom marched him across the grounds to the waiting Sky Queen. Walter clumped along awkwardly, while Tom, walking a few steps behind, guided the robot with a small temporary control panel.