“Terrific, skipper!” Bud exclaimed, clapping
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126 THE VISITOR FROM PLANET X
his pal on the back. The others gathered around to add their congratulations.
Mr. Swift, beaming with pride, gave Tom a quick hand-squeeze. “It’s an amazing achievement, son. And it may prove to be the key for unlocking the secrets of space, if and when we have time for some research after this crisis is over.”
“I sure hope so, Dad,” Tom murmured. Though jubilant, the young inventor realized that this was only the first step in his plan to checkmate the Brungarian rebels.
The real perils still lay ahead!
Tom called Harlan Ames and asked him to come to the laboratory for a conference. When the security chief arrived, he was as impressed as the others with the way Tom was able to communicate with Exman.
“The problem now,” Tom said, “is how do we have him kidnaped?”
Chow, wary as a coyote, offered his opinion that the safest way would be merely to leave the space robot unguarded somewhere about the grounds of Enterprises.
Ames shook his head. “Too obvious. They’d suspect a trap.” Tom agreed.
“Wai, then, how about truckin’ him along the highway hereabouts, as if you all were sendin’ him down to Washington?”
This, too, was vetoed on the grounds that a shrewd espionage agent would guess that such
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a valuable prize would never be entrusted to a slow and vulnerable method of transport.
“Then what about an air flight?” Hank Sterling suggested.
“Brand my six-guns, that’d be jest beggin’ to git yourself shot down!” Chow fumed.