"Appleton, Victor - Tom Swift Jr 07 - And His Diving Seacopter" - читать интересную книгу автора (Appleton Victor)

said excitedly. "Do you understand?"
Mr. Swift regarded him quizzically. "Please tell us where you got your
information, Mayor."
"I received a phone call just fifteen minutes ago," the official explained.
"Whoever it was gave no name, but he told me the Swifts had received a
message from outer space-a message saying a rocket would soon land in
Shopton!"
"That certainly doesn't mean it will be an explosive rocket," Mr. Swift pointed
out. "I'm sure
21
22 DIVING SEACOPTER
from the message we received that it will not be."
"Do you expect me to stand by and do nothing when the lives of thousands
of people are at stake?" the mayor stormed. "Explosive or not, that rocket could
cause great havoc in a town like Shopton!"
Tom glanced at his father, uncertain whether or not to reveal the secret
details of the Swifts' communication with their space friends.
Mr. Swift took the cue. "I'll speak frankly, Mayor," he said. "We have received
messages from outer space. They came in code form, which we compiled into a
space dictionary. That dictionary has been stolen."
Mayor Clyde gasped. "You mean the thief is the person who called me?"
"That's quite probable," Tom spoke up. "The latest message was written in
the back of the book -it was the one concerning the rocket."
"Our security division has been working on the robbery," Mr. Swift added.
"Tom, call Ames and find out if he has any news."
Going to the phone alcove, the boy dialed Har-lan Ames's private number,
only to learn that there was nothing new to report. Tom informed Ames of the
anonymous phone call to the mayor. Then he added, "Keep working on it,
Harlan, and let us know the minute you learn anything!"
A worried frown creased Tom's forehead as he hung up. Could the theft have
been an inside job by someone working at the plant-perhaps a
THE MYSTERIOUS MESSAGE 23
trusted employee? And if so, what was the motive? Did the thief plan to sell
the information to some enemy of Tom or his father?
Returning to the living room, he reported Ames's failure so far to solve the
mystery. From Mr. Swift's expression, it was plain that he shared Tom's concern.
But both father and son tried to reassure Mayor Clyde. The official, however,
could not be calmed. He begged them to send a message to their space friends,
calling off the rocket plans.
"Very well," Mr. Swift agreed. "We'll try to contact them tonight."
Tom was amazed by this sudden decision. As soon as the mayor left, he
turned to his father. "Dad, did you really mean that about contacting our space
friends? This is our chance to learn something about life on other planets,
something scientists have dreamed of for centuries! We can't throw it away!"
"Don't worry, Tom," Mr. Swift replied. "Our message will simply ask the space
people to hold off launching the rocket for a while. That will give us time to work
out more of the code and also to calm down the mayor and any others who may
have heard the news."
Tom grinned sheepishly. "I should have known you wouldn't back down."
Mrs. Swift and Sandy had listened in dismay to the mayor's remarks. Now