“Look, Mr. Burlow,” Tom cut in coldly, “I know nothing about this story. Swift Enterprises has made no such announcement, and I’ve given out no interview. Those alleged remarks of mine are as much of a shock to me as they were to you.”
Burlow stared at the young inventor in disbelief. “In that case, where did the story come from?”
“I don’t know, but I intend to find out,” Tom replied. “We haven’t even agreed to take on the job.”
“Very well,” the company president said grudgingly. “Come with me.”
Tom followed him into Burlow’s private office, where he was gruffly invited to sit down. Burlow regarded Tom with a scowl of mistrust.
“All right,” he rumbled. “What’s on your mind?”
“So far, Swift Enterprises has merely been asked to take on the Ngombian highway project,” Tom began. “We haven’t even looked over the terrain yet. The job must involve terrific problems if a topflight, experienced firm such as yours would need three years to handle it.”
Burlow looked somewhat mollified.
“Before going any further,” Tom went on,
VOODOO STEW 33
“we’d like to know what we’re up against. That’s why I came to see you.”
Tom had an added reason for his visit. He was hoping to glean some hint of whether Burlow Engineering might be connected with the sinister events of the past two days.
“You came to the right place, son,” Burlow said with relish. “If any outfit can lay that highway in less than three years, I’ll eat my hat!”
Tom shrugged. “You may be right. However, I would like to study the proposal you submitted to the Ngombian government.”
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