The Swifts’ home was surrounded by an electromagnetic field which actuated the alarm system when a caller or prowler approached. To avoid setting off the system needlessly, all of the family and close friends wore wrist watches containing neutralizer coils.
Sandy hurried to answer the door and brought her guest into the living room.
“Bud!” Tom exclaimed.
The astronaut spoke to Mr. and Mrs. Swift and Phyl, then exchanged a warm handshake with his chum.
Tom grinned in pleasure. “Don’t tell me you’ve jumped the reservation again?” he needled.
Bud chuckled. “Just a sh°rt breather before I go into solitary.”
“Then the flight’s all scheduled?”
“It’s tentatively set for the day after tomorrow,” Bud said. “They’re hurrying things up to take advantage of Venus coming into inferior conjunction with the earth.”
148 MEGASCOPE SPACE PROBER
“Venus inferior?” Sandy giggled. “I thought she outrated all your other girl friends.”
“Except for a certain blonde,” Bud quipped. “I only meant that Venus will soon pass between the earth and the sun. In other words, she’ll be at her closest point to earth and save us a few hundred thousand miles of space travel.”
Sandy winked at Phyl. “Do you suppose Bud and Tom would ever travel that far to see us?”
“We’d probably have to bait the invitation with some of your mother’s marvelous cooking,” Phyl teased.
Her remark brought a chuckle from Mr. Swift. “You may have something there, Phyl,” he said. “Mary Nestor always did know the way to a man’s heart!”
Mrs. Swift, whose maiden name had been Nestor, blushed prettily as she said, “Shall we go to the table?”
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