18 REPELATRON SKYWAY
backward, the gun smashed down on his skull. With a groan of pain Tom blacked out.
Minutes later, he stirred and revived. Tom was in some kind of dark, cramped space. Struggling to his feet, he kicked over what sounded like a metal pail. He groped along the wall, found a doorknob, and twisted it. As the door came open, Tom realized that his assailant had dragged him into a janitor’s closet.
“O-oh! My head!” Tom winced as he stepped out into the light.
He glanced along the hallway, then dashed down the stairs to the terminal waiting room. As Tom’s eyes roved in search of the man who had knocked him out, he saw a large, distinguished-looking African in a colorful toga. The stranger stood nearby with two attendants.
Tom hurried toward them. “You are perhaps Mr. Kwanu?” he asked.
“That is correct.”
“I’m Tom Swift Jr. Forgive me for keeping you waiting.”
“Not at all,” the African said politely. He introduced his two attendants and added, “We were informed that you had been delayed.”
Tom stiffened in surprise. “Informed? By whom?”
“By your assistant from Swift Enterprises. Did you not know?”
“I certainly didn’t,” Tom said. “Please tell me what happened.”
AIRPORT RUSE 19
Kwanu explained that he had been met by a man who introduced himself as a representative of the Swifts. He had explained that Tom Jr. would arrive in a few moments to greet the visitors. Meantime, the man would take Kwanu’s secretary to the mayor’s office in Shopton to arrange the details of an official reception.