Tom nodded grimly. “Take a look at this pen socket. There’s a tiny capsule in there that must have contained the poison gas!”
Tom explained that he had tried the pen before Bud had. “When I replaced it, evidently the point punctured the capsule. Then, when Bud removed the pen again, the gas came jetting out.”
“What a devilish trick!” Doc gasped. “Let me take that over to my lab, skipper. There may be enough traces of the stuff clinging to the capsule to analyze.”
As soon as the medic had left, Tom summoned Harlan Ames. The slim, dark-haired chief of Enterprises’ security staff arrived shortly. Tom reported the mysterious poison-gas plot.
“Have you checked the Ngombian Embassy?” Ames asked.
“I called it long-distance while you were on the way over,” Tom replied. “The ambassador’s aide was very upset. He’s sure that no such package was sent from their office. But he’s going to double-check.”
Ames was skeptical that anything would be learned. “Undoubtedly the return address would
14 REPELATRON SKYWAY
not belong to the sender. But whoever mailed the devil doll must have known you were expecting a visit from a Ngornbian official.”
“Right. They’re following up on that angle, too,” Tom said. “As far as the ambassador’s aide knew, no one in this country-except their own embassy members and a few of our people-was aware that they were planning to consult Swift Enterprises.”
Ames promised to have the wrappings and the figure itself examined for clues, and to start a full-scale investigation at once. “This deal looks nasty, skipper,” he added worriedly before leaving. “From now on, watch yourself!”
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