as it began to spell out the
incoming message on tape:

ENERGY WILL COME TO THE SPOT YOU SUGGESTED. WE CAN CONTROL
FLIGHT COURSE BUT WHILE THE ENERGY IS ON EARTH YOU WILL BE IN
CHARGE. WE WILL HAVE NO CONTROL FOR TWENTY-ONE DAYS. THEN WE
WILL RECALL ENERGY TO BRING US IMPRESSIONS AND DATA OF YOUR
WORLD.

The two boys stared at each other excitedly as the transmission ended.

"Wow!" Bud murmured. "If Planet X is a peaceful place, Ole Think Box is
sure in for a jolt here on earth!"

Tom grinned fleetingly at the reference to Chow's nickname for the robot
creature. Then he became serious, knowing that Bud's words were all too
true. The space visitor might also take back impressions of the
suffering and warlike threats that some earth countries inflict on one
another. Maybe one day, Tom reflected, it would be different.

In the meantime, the young inventor realized he had an awesome
responsibility. He must not only make the best use of the brain energy
during its stay on earth, but also keep it from falling into the hands
of treacherous Brungarian plotters.

Tom's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of girls' voices.
Sandy and Phyl were standing in the doorway of the space-communications
laboratory.

"Talk about deep thinkers!" Sandy said teasingly.

"Goodness, we had no idea we'd be interrupting a session of the brain
trust," Phyl added with a mischievous sparkle in her brown eyes. "Maybe
we should go away again, Sandy!"

"Hey! Hold it, you two!" Bud exclaimed. "What do you think, Tom--are
these the visitors we've been expecting from outer space?"

"Well! I like that!" Sandy pouted. "Do we look like a couple of little
green people?"

Tom chuckled and seized the opportunity to do a little teasing of his
own. "I think it's just your pointed heads that fooled us, Sis." Then,
as the two girls broke down in laughter, he added, "Why the unexpected
visit?"

Sandy and Phyl explained that they had come to invite the boys to a
picnic cruise on Lake Carlopa the next day.

"And while we're here, since it's practically quitting time anyhow,"
Sandy went on, her blue eyes twinkling, "we might even let you drive us
some place for dinner."

"Guess they've trapped us, Bud," Tom said with a grin. "Okay, it's a
deal. But first we have something to show you." He took the girls to his
laboratory to show them the robot creature.

"It's marvelous!" Sandy exclaimed, and Phyl agreed.

Early the