The problem was so baffling and complex that Tom became completely oblivious to the passage of time. He sketched out plan after plan, only to crumple and discard each one.
Suddenly a disturbing thought jarred the young inventor out of his concentration. Perhaps the Brungarian rebel scientists had now figured out how to decode the radio messages from the Swifts’ space friends!
If so, when the brain energy was launched toward earth, they might try to divert it to their own receiving setup!
CHAPTER IV
ANOTHER TREMOR!
TOM was appalled at this new danger. Shoving his drawing board back into its wall slot, the young inventor hurried to his desk and made a number of telephone calls.
Within minutes, a group of five of his most trusted associates had assembled in Tom’s office. First to arrive were Bud Barclay, Ames, and George Billing, the Swifts’ communications chief. They were joined moments later by Hank Sterling, the square-jawed chief engineer and trouble shooter of Enterprises, and Arvid Hanson.
Hanson, a hulking six-footer, made all the delicate scale models of Tom Jr.‘s and Tom Sr.‘s inventions. He was not only an expert craftsman, but, like all the Swifts’ key men, a trained aircraft and space pilot as well.
“What’s up, skipper?” Bud asked.
30
ANOTHER TREMOR! 31
“I guess you might call this a council of war,” Tom replied.
He divulged his fears that Brungarian scientists might hijack the brain energy to be sent from Planet X, home of the Swifts’ unknown space friends.
“Bud, you recall Mother’s remark last night about the danger that this energy may prove overwhelmingly powerful,” Tom went on. “Well, just suppose that our Brungarian pals fit it out in robot form, then turn it loose against us or our friends in other countries.”