continued pacing up and down the room now and then looking at his
watch as if to note when the five minutes had passed.

"No," said Tom to himself. "I'm not going to take this offer.
There's too much work and risk attached to it. I want to stay at
home and work on my noiseless motor for the airship. After that--
well--I don't know what I'll do. I'll tell Mr. Period that he
needn't wait the five minutes. My mind is made up now!"

But as Tom was about to make this announcement, and dismiss his
caller, he looked again at the visitor. There was something
attractive about him--about his hasty way of talking, about his
manner of interrupting, about the way he proposed matters. Tom
was interested in spite of himself.

"Well," he reflected, "I may as well wait until the five
minutes are up, anyhow."

Koku, the giant servant, glanced at his young master, as if to
ask if there was anything that he could do. Tom shook his head,
and then the big man strolled over to the other side of the
machine shop, at the same time keeping a careful eye on Mr.
Period.

While Tom is waiting for the time to expire, I will take a few
minutes to tell you something more about him. Those of my friends
who have read the previous books in this series need no
introduction to my hero, but those who may chance upon this as
their first book in the Tom Swift series, will like to be more
formally introduced.