Mr. and Mrs.
Swift smiled proudly at their son's latest triumph. Phyl and Sandy
expressed their feelings by giving Tom a quick kiss.

"Hey! Where do I come in?" Bud protested.

Before the girls could answer, the door of the laboratory opened and
Harlan Ames walked in, accompanied by a lean, gray-eyed young man with
dark close-cropped hair. _Samson Narko!_

Chow let out a yelp of rage. "Why, brand my sagebrush hash, it's that
double-crossin' Brungarian--"

"Hold it, Chow!" Ames cut short the outburst. "Allow me to introduce one
of America's most effective counterespionage agents, Mr. Samson Narko!"

Tom and his friends were astounded. Narko himself smiled somewhat
uncomfortably. "I can imagine how you all feel--you especially, Tom.
But, believe me, I could not risk pulling my punches even when it put
you all in grave peril, such as when I fired that missile across the bow
of your sub. I could only hope that Tom Swift would succeed in eluding
us."

Ames quickly briefed the others on Narko's background. Brungarian-born,
he had received his engineering training in the United States and had
learned to love America. When he saw his own country threatened by the
forces of dictatorship, he had secretly offered his services to the CIA
against the rebels. Soon afterward, the agency had approached him to
become a counterspy.

"I dared not relax from my role as a spy for a moment," Narko added.
"I even grabbed the chance to plant that cache of firearms in Latty's
cellar to convince any rebel agents who might be watching me that I was
on their side. Tom, the rebels gave me the job of hijacking your space
robot. But, going on the brief messages that the CIA was able to get
through to me, I guessed that you were using it as bait."

"I guess we all owe _you_ an apology," Tom said. "And our thanks. We
were lucky to have you on our side."

"He saved the lives of a number of loyalist prisoners and gave the
government forces some vital tip-offs of his own," Ames added.

As Tom shook hands with Narko, the young Brungarian said warmly, "It is
good to know that Tom Swift is my friend." With a chuckle, Narko added,
"I know from experience that you certainly make a dangerous enemy!"

As the others gathered around to speak to Samson Narko and add their
friendly congratulations, Bud slapped Tom on the back.

"Well, skipper, what's next on the schedule?"

For a moment Tom did not reply. He too wondered where his next
scientific adv