“Great sufferin’ snakes!” the cook gasped. “You A MISSING AMULET 163
ain’t goin’ divin’ in that getup, I hope I You look like a Christmas tree, boss!”
Tom nodded glumly. “Know something, Chow? That’s just what I was thinking myself.”
The young inventor’s suit was loaded down with the various electronic units and festooned with wires. Even taking a few steps around the lab convinced Tom that the design was too unwieldy.
“I’d probably either get tangled in seaweed or sink from sheer weight,” he muttered.
Changing back to his slacks and T shirt, Tom began eating abstractedly as Chow hovered around.
“If fishes could talk, I reckon you’d scare ‘em half to death in that rig!” Chow said, trying to cheer Tom.
“Fish do talk,” the young inventor said. “At least they make noises. Don’t you remember that emergency fish-talk code we used when we were-”
Suddenly Tom paused, his mouth dropping open. “Chow! You’ve just solved my problem!” he exclaimed.
“I have?” Chow goggled at the young inventor.
“You sure have!” Tom bounced off his stool and began pacing about. “Now, take porpoises. They utter all sorts of sounds-grunts, squeals, jawclaps-and one particularly characteristic sound, like the grating of a rusty hinge.”
164 THE ELECTRONIC HYDROLUNG
Chow scratched his chin uncertainly. “Wai, what about it?”
“Suppose I used that rusty-hinge noise to mask the diver’s noise.” Tom turned and stabbed the air with his finger. “I could also use that same sound output as the search pulse for my quality analyzer sonar!”