Tom Swift and the Asteroid Pirates (18 page)

Phil Radnor asked about the radiation exposure Doc Simpson had been concerned about. "No signs of any problem," the young inventor answered. "Doc thinks that ‘mineral food’ is the reason. He’s studying its medicinal properties pretty seriously."

"Incidentally, where’s Bud?" inquired Mr. Swift.

Tom winked. "He told me planned to take a relaxing vacation. Inside the antimatter volcano!"

"Well," chuckled Damon Swift, "he’d better not stay away too long. It’s no feat of prediction to say that you’ll be in the middle of something in no time flat!" It was Tom’s
Repelatron Skyway
that would make Mr. Swift’s prediction entirely correct—and very soon.

The next morning Sandy asked if, amid all the revelations, Tom had discovered anything about her anonymous admirer’s eavesdropping bracelet. "
Was
the Cobra behind it?"

"According to Phil Radnor—no."

Sandy looked surprised. "Really? You don’t mean it was some rival company after all?"

Tom looked uncomfortable. "No, sis, not that either. They investigated, and ... "

"And
what
?"

"It turns out the person behind it was, er... a fifteen-year-old supermarket employee, a budding techno-geek—someday he’ll be working at Enterprises!—with a major crush, who thought he could plot to win you by learning all the intimate details of your home life."

"I see." She gave him a smile, wry and sour. "Tomonomo, sometimes there really
is
such a thing as knowing too much!"