Chow perked up, and the employees, reassured, returned to their jobs.
“I have some news of my own,” Mr. Swift announced with a smile as the room cleared. “But I’m afraid it’ll sound pretty tame compared to a space attack.”
“Let’s hear it, Dad,” Tom said eagerly.
“I’ve been conducting some experiments with those space plants,” the elder scientist said. “It looks as though they may prove to be a valuable nutritional source.”
The plants, Mr. Swift went on, showed promise of producing enormous amounts of protein
84 THE ELECTRONIC HYDROLUNG
quickly and cheaply-enough to increase the world’s food supply by a sizable margin. Moreover, he had isolated a vitamin in this protein not found in any of man’s present foods.
“Doc Simpson has been working with me,” Mr. Swift concluded. “He has been doing some experiments of his own with a vitamin extract from the space plants. He thinks it may prove highly beneficial to human beings.”
Tom was thrilled, and even Bud realized that Mr. Swift’s cautious report could well turn out to be of history-making importance.
“I’d say your news makes a phony space attack look pretty tame, Dad,” Tom said, his eyes flashing enthusiastically. “With the earth’s population increasing, this could be the answer to the food problem.”
“Don’t tell Chow,” Bud added, “or we may find spaceburgers on the next menu!”
The Swifts chuckled. Chow’s hobby of concocting weird dishes was a standing joke at Enterprises, and already had led to such dubious triumphs as armadillo stew and rattlesnake soup.
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