“What’s causing that?” Felix asked. “Is the cosmic radiation reduced in this part of space?”
Tom doubted this. In view of the strange behavior of the other electronic devices, he said it seemed more likely that Li Ching and his henchmen were at work. Had he perfected a new and more powerful means of fouling up the Swifts’
space craft?
As a check, Tom decided to turn back to earth. After a steep descent of almost twenty thousand miles, the ship’s electronic systems began functioning normally again!
Puzzled, Tom gunned the reactor and headed back outward into space.
Minutes later, the output of the radiation emitters began fading.
“The instruments are goofed up again!” Bud reported.
Once more, Tom headed downward-seriously worried now as well as disappointed. But at thirty thousand miles altitude, the Cosmic Sailer regained its normal flight behavior.
“This has me stumped,” Tom confessed. “I can’t understand what’s-”
His words were interrupted as the radio suddenly crackled. “Outpost to Tom!
… Mayday! Mayday, skipper! … There’s trouble here! We need help at once!”
The astronauts were stunned by the unexpected
THE COSMIC SAILER 167
call for help. Tom flicked on his microphone. “Tom to Outpost! … What’s wrong?” There was no response. Without further delay, Tom sent the Cosmic Sailer racing toward the
space station!
CHAPTER XIX
IN LI CHING’S CLUTCHES
THE suspense became almost unbearable as the minutes passed. Bud kept trying to contact the outpost, but its radio remained silent.
“What in the name o’ prairie rats has happened to ‘em, boss?” Chow pleaded.
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