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

“Meanin” me?” Chow looked downcast.

“No, Chow,” Bud replied, grinning. Trying to imitate Tom’s method of explanation, he said, “These are electrical noises built up by cascades of amplifiers used in making analogues of the robot’s work problems. They disturb the signals. Then when radiation is added-”

“Hey! I think I’ve hit it!” Tom announced. “The next relotrol will be operated by frequency modulation, just like FM radios. The signals will have nothing in common with radiation and the robot won’t be confused.”

“Swell!” said Bud. “Now maybe you’ll tell Chow we both need something substantial to eat-even mongoose fritters.”

“What!” cried the cook in disbelief. “Well, I’ll rustle up some Texas grub pronto.”

Just then the telephone rang. Chow picked it up.

“Tom,” he said, after listening for a moment, “Radnor says he’s got some important news for you!”

CHAPTER 9

TELLTALE X-RAY

“HELLO, Rad. What’s the big news?” Tom asked.

The head of security police spoke rapidly. “We have the leak traced down to one trickle, Tom. Ames and the staff really worked overtime on this one. They went back through miles of microfilm records, first of Enterprises and then all the way into the earliest employment files of the old Swift Construction Company.”

“And you dug up something vital?” Tom asked eagerly.

“Nothing from the records,” Radnor replied. “But we did learn that a worker in the division where the robot skeletons are fused vanished from town yesterday without any explanation. We’re checking on buddies he might have had at the Enterprises plant and also trying to trace his movements.”