“I do!” Tom snapped.  “And if you don’t trust me, go ahead and risk a war!”

The boys waited breathlessly for the outcome of Tom’s bold gamble.  Soon they saw the result.  The pursuing planes suddenly peeled off and sped away in the direction from which they had first appeared.

“Whew!” Bud wiped his hand across his face and drew it away moist with perspiration.  “How do you like that?”

Tom chuckled with relief.  “I like it fine, fly boy.  But I was sure worried there for a while!”

Less than an hour later, the big cargo jet touched down at the San Rosario airport.  An armed guard was on hand to greet the boys, under command of an officer named Captain Sanchez.  He had brought along a work crew of soldiers and also a geology expert, Professor Leone, from the island’s small technical school.

“I have selected a spot on the eastern shore of the island,” the professor told Tom.  He unrolled a map and explained the site.

“Excellent,” Tom agreed.

The Quakelizor parts, communications equipment, and small atomic earth blaster were quickly unloaded and transported to the site by trucks.  In three hours the installation was finished.

Tom, who spoke Spanish fairly well, explained to a small group of San Rosario military technicians how the quake deflector worked.  He also detailed one of his own men to stay on as trouble shooter for the setup.

“And now,” said Captain Sanchez, beaming, “we must relax and celebrate the friendship of our two countries.”

Tom and Bud, though eager to get home, hesitated to hurt the friendly officer’s feelings.  They sat through a delicious meal, followed by numerous speeches.  When his own turn to speak came, Tom used it to warn against possible sabotage attempts by the Brungarians.  At last the boys were allowed to take off with their crew.

“Swell guys,” Bud said, when the boys were airborne, “but a bit hard to break away from!”

Tom grinned, then became serious.  “You know, Bud,” he said thoughtfully, “those aerial hijackers gave me an idea.”

“Let’s have it, skipper.”

“If only I could get Exman perfected so he would report back to me,” Tom explained, “I could let him be kidnaped.  Think what a wonderful ‘inside man’ he’d make in the enemy setup!  He could tip us off to everything the Brungarians were doing!”

“Hey, that’s neat!” Bud exclaimed, wide-eyed.  “But how could you be sure those Brungarian rebel scientists wouldn’t change him somehow?  I mean they might brainwash him or something.”

“It’s a risk,” Tom agreed.  “But that’s my problem—­how to make a perfect spy out of him.”

It was midnight when the cargo jet touched down on the Enterprises airfield.  The boys slept soundly.

The next morning Tom reported to Mr. Swift and Harlan Ames the outcome of his trip to San Rosario, including the attack en route by unmarked sky raiders.  He also privately told his father about his plan to use Exman as an electronic spy.  Mr. Swift was enthusiastic.