Appleton, Victor – Tom Swift Jr 24 – And His 3D Telejector

“No! Absolutely not!” Fosburg insisted. “Teletron is a reputable firm. Once I found out you wouldn’t sell, we simply canceled our production plans for the stereo set. Believe me, I knew nothing of Horst’s plot.”

Tom and Ames exchanged frowning glances.

“Could be,” the security chief admitted. “Horst probably hoped to get rich off his royalties from Teletron. When production was canceled, he may have gone ahead on his own, trying to bulldoze you off the market.”

The telephone rang. Fosburg answered. Suddenly his eyes widened. He put his hand over the mouthpiece and looked up at Tom and Ames.

“It’s Horst!” Fosburg whispered. “He wants to see me. Says he has big news.”

Tom’s brain worked fast. “Are you willing to help expose Horst?” Fosburg nodded vigorously. “Then ask him to come here after lunch.”

At one-thirty the red-haired engineer was ushered into Fosburg’s office. The company president smilingly invited him to sit down.

“You have good news?” Fosburg asked.

“The best.” Horst beamed gloatingly. “I’ve persuaded Swift to make a deal.

You can buy the rights to his set or make a deal with him to hold THE HIDDEN KEY 123

back till you’ve flooded the market with our own stereo-vision TV. Either way, it leaves us a clear field to start production!”

Fosburg chuckled. “Terrific, Horst! You must be a slick operator. What kind of-er-persuasion did you use?”

Horst’s ferrety eyes twinkled. “Between the two of us, I put young Mr. Swift right behind the eight ball! He has to deal with us now.”

Convinced that the company president would approve of his trickery, Horst began to boast about how he had trapped Tom into opening the safe.