Tom was appalled at this new danger. Shoving his drawing board back into
its wall slot, the young inventor hurried to his desk and made a number
of telephone calls.

Within minutes, a group of five of his most trusted associates had
assembled in Tom's office. First to arrive were Bud Barclay, Ames, and
George Dilling, the Swifts' communications chief. They were joined
moments later by Hank Sterling, the square-jawed chief engineer and
trouble shooter of Enterprises, and Arvid Hanson.

Hanson, a hulking six-footer, made all the delicate scale models of Tom
Jr.'s and Tom Sr.'s inventions. He was not only an expert craftsman,
but, like all the Swifts' key men, a trained aircraft and space pilot as
well.

"What's up, skipper?" Bud asked.

"I guess you might call this a council of war," Tom replied.

He divulged his fears that Brungarian scientists might hijack the brain
energy to be sent from Planet X, home of the Swifts' unknown space
friends.

"Bud, you recall Mother's remark last night about the danger that this
energy may prove overwhelmingly powerful," Tom went on. "Well, just
suppose that our Brungarian pals fit it out in robot form, then turn it
loose against us or our friends in other countries."

Bud gave an awed whistle. "Boy, a thing like that might make even a