Appleton, Victor – Tom Swift Jr 22 – And His Repelatron Skyway

“Tom-toms?” Creel looked surprised. “Sorry, but I don’t think I heard them. Why?”

“Just wondered.” Tom yawned and stretched out on his bunk, trying not to show any suspicion.

He was almost sure that he had noticed Creel outside the villa while the drums were sounding. Still, Creel might have paid no attention to the tom-toms, the young inventor realized.

Next morning the Sky Queen streaked homeward across the Atlantic. As the huge ship made its descent toward the American coast, a helicopter came gliding out to meet them.

88 REPELATRON SKYWAY

“Sky Queen, this is helicopter two-one-six. Are you reading me?”

Tom responded into his microphone. “Reading you loud and clear.”

“Helicopter to Queen. Will you please stop and allow someone to come aboard?”

Tom was startled by the request. “Who is this?” he demanded. “What’s your business?”

“I’m just a commercial pilot, Mr. Swift,” came the reply, “but my passenger says it’s urgently important that he see you right away, before you land. His name is Corcoran.”

Tom and Bud exchanged puzzled glances. “It could be a trick,” Bud muttered.

Tom, however, was curious. After quizzing the helicopter pilot, the young inventor decided that they could safely agree to the request. So the Sky Queen slowed to a halt and descended to an altitude of five hundred feet on her jet lifters. The helicopter then hovered directly over the giant jet and dropped a rope ladder.

A bareheaded young man in slacks and sport jacket climbed down the ladder and scrambled in through the Queen’s side hatch. Hank Sterling and another crewman helped him aboard. They searched the stranger for hidden weapons, then conducted him forward to the flight compartment.