“Sure thing.” Repressing a smile at Chow’s interest and his sudden about-face attitude, Tom went off to oblige. Then he returned to the galley and watched the ghostly display with Chow until the novelty wore off.
42 MEGASCOPE SPACE PROBER
“Bet you never saw anything like that in a Texas chuck wagon,” Tom remarked, smiling.
“If I had, I’d have give up cookin’ right spang on the spot!” Chow declared fervently.
Late that afternoon, Bud dropped around to the lab to say good-by before leaving for Florida. Though excited at the prospect ahead, the young pilot seemed subdued at parting from Tom and the familiar surroundings of Swift Enterprises. Tom, too, felt a pang of sadness. After sharing so many adventures on their daring space voyages, he would not be with his pal on this new cruise into the unknown.
“Let me know what you find under that cloud cover up on Venus, rocket boy,”
Tom said, trying to sound cheerful.
“It won’t be half so much fun without you along, skipper.” Giving Tom a playful but half-hearted poke in the ribs, Bud strode off abruptly.
Feeling somewhat downcast, Tom went back to work on his wave generator.
The young inventor was still depressed that Swift Enterprises had not been invited to participate in the Venus probe project.
“Oh, well,” Tom said to himself, snapping out of his mood, “if I can perfect my megascope space prober in time, I can watch Bud’s whole trip!”
Spurred by this hope, Tom worked almost continuously through most of the following two days.
44 MEGASCOPE SPACE PROBER
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