Bud looked startled. “Are you kidding?”
“No, it’s on the level,” Tom replied. “Oh, it’s barely possible that someone might poke his antenna exactly in the path of our two-way beam. But it’s a zillion-to-one chance-and then we would have instant warning, because it would break our two-way contact.”
DANGER! 59
Bud settled down on a stool again, his eyes glinting with interest. “Tell me more.”
Tom explained his anti-inverse-square-wave principle by which a radio signal could be transmitted any distance in a single, self-enclosed beam.
“When you first start broadcasting,” Tom continued, “the radio will transmit in the usual fashion. But as soon as you make contact with the station you’re calling, the anti-inverse-square-wave effect comes into play.
“By means of the computer in the base of each radio, the two sets would instantly ‘lock’ onto each other. From then on, the transmission would take place in a very narrow beam of radiation-with no other listeners able to tune in.”
“Wonderful!” Bud exclaimed enthusiastically. “Strictly private, eh? No party-line kibitzers!”
“I hope so-assuming it works right.” Tom smiled. “Which gives me a good idea for a name.”
“Such as?”
“You’ve heard of private eyes,” Tom replied jokingly. “Well, this radio will be known as the Private Ear.” Bud burst out laughing, his good humor completely restored.
Tom proceeded to hook up a system of tubing from a helium cryostat to one of the radio sets.
“What’s that for?” Bud asked.
“The amplifying circuits will be working with such delicate signals that they have to be bathed
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