“You could be right,” Ames said. “I’ll start checking on the guy now, skipper.”
“By the way,” Tom added, “have a couple of those aluminum ‘birds’ sent to the Ngombian Embassy on the next flight to Washington. I’d like to make sure the ‘birds’
have no African religious significance.”
Next morning Ames reported that his investi—
46 REPELATRON SKYWAY
gallon had drawn a complete blank. “Creel seems to be just what he claims. He’s well known as a magazine writer and lecturer, and several zoos have bought animals from him.”
Tom frowned in bewilderment. “Well, perhaps I’m wrong. But I still can’t figure any other reason for that aluminum ‘bird’ business.”
Back at his office, Tom called the Ngombian Embassy. He informed them he planned to fly to Africa the next day for a preliminary survey of the highway route. He also learned that the aluminum “birds” had been checked by their cultural attache and were not African totem symbols. The rest of the morning Tom spent in rounding up supplies for the expedition, organizing a crew, and laying out flight plans.
After lunch the young inventor drove to the Shopton Museum to see his elderly friend Dr. Gorde, the curator. Tom showed him the spear.
“It’s definitely of West African workmanship,” Dr. Gorde announced, after carefully studying the weapon.
“From Ngombia?”
The curator shrugged. “I can’t be that precise, Tom, but it may well be from the area of the rain forest.”
Tom next asked about Darcy Creel. It turned out that Dr. Gorde was acquainted with Creel and knew of nothing against him.