“Then let’s!” Phyl agreed gaily. “This is fun!”
By now, they had gained enough altitude so that the jungle lay spread out below them in a lush green expanse. Tom banked and circled until the ship was headed on a course which would take them straight toward the spot where the Sky Queen and Mr. Swift’s cargo jet were berthed. Then he cut the engines completely.
“Now I can understand why people become so enthusiastic about gliders!”
Phyl said excitedly. “I feel just like a bird up here!”
Tom switched on the radio to make contact with the Sky Queen. Its radioman responded immediately to the call.
“Phyl and I are headed your way in the paraplane,” Tom reported. “We’re doing a free-balloon stunt, so it may take us a while to get there.”
“Good thing you raised us, skipper,” the radioman replied. “We just had a call from Shopton for your dad and we haven’t been able to reach POLICE QUIZ 141
him at the village. He’s wanted in Washington as soon as possible for government conferences on a new space project. Can you give him the message?”
“Sure thing,” Tom promised. “If I can’t get through on the radio, we’ll go back and tell him in person.”
Fortunately, Bud had turned on the radio in the jeep he was driving. He said that he and Sandy would return to camp immediately and relay the message to Tom’s father. Within minutes, Mr. Swift’s voice came over the air.
“I’m afraid this means that the girls and I will have to fly home at once, son,”
the scientist said. “Sorry our trip has to be cut short before we’ve seen your retroscope in action.”