Tom Swift and His Outpost in Space by Victor Appleton II

the legal profession requires that you endure these procedures."
    "Say, I like this hombre," Chow murmured.
    "Aren’t you represented by legal counsel, Mr. Swift?"
    "Our company lawyer is now in Washington DC," explained Tom. "My father and I, and the rest of us, didn’t feel that it was necessary to call him back on this account, because I’m quite sure that there’s been some mistake. I haven’t destroyed anyone’s property."
    "We’ll see about that!" snorted Jaston York angrily.
    "We will indeed," said the judge. "I wish to make clear that these are special proceedings of a type recently authorized by the State Legislature on an experimental basis. Though not a Small Claims Court matter, this hearing will be conducted with a similar degree of informality of procedure." The hearing now got underway, and York was directed to set forth his purported causes of action in clear, direct, and understandable terms, as required by law and the policies of this jurisdiction— in the words of Judge Grover.
    York fingered his lapel and began. "Your Honor, my company was—"
    "Which company is that, Mr. York?"
    "The Quik Battery Corporation of Plattsburgh, New York, address filed with this court. My company was engaged in making some tests on solar radiation by means of a high-altitude helium balloon. Quik Battery is allowed to make such tests under its State and Federal licenses. We sent up a balloon equipped with valuable instruments on the date of—"
    "Dates accepted as stipulated in court submissions. Now, Mr. York, I take it these balloon ascents took place in connection with your commercial purpose, which is the manufacture of batteries for public sale?"
    "That is correct, Your Honor."
    "And what, precisely, is that connection, sir?"
    York paused. "We are engaged in proprietary research with regard to the area of—"
    "No," said Judge Grover impatiently. "Just tell me what the balloon is for. Making some kind of battery?"
    "Yes, Your Honor."
    "And what transpired? You see, I’m allowed to say words like transpired, but you are not."
    York frowned and turned slightly redder. "Tom Swift and his associates, in a jet aircraft called the Sky Queen, deliberately rammed that balloon with his plane, causing its destruction and thereby ruining the entire experiment!"
    The judge shuffled through his papers and nodded. "Busted it, you say?"
    "In a manner of speaking, sir—yes."
    "All right. Now then." Judge Grover turned to Tom and regarded the young inventor over the tops of his spectacles.. "Did you hear what he said, Mr. Swift?"
    "I did, Your Honor."
    "Do you understand the allegation?"
    "I do."
    "Did you do it? That is, you or one of the others named?"
    "Definitely not, Your Honor. It’s true that I was flying the Sky Queen at that time, and I did see the balloon Mr. York is referring to. But it burst of its own accord, just as any radiosonde balloon will do after reaching a high enough altitude."
    York sneered sarcastically. "And I suppose you just happened, by some strange coincidence, to be zooming close by at that particular moment!"
    There was a slight titter from the crowd of spectators, and Judge Grover rapped for silence. "Much as I enjoy a note of drama, Mr. York, you will confine your remarks to the court for the time being. I take it that you are prepared to prove these charges?"
    "I am, Your Honor. May I call my first witness?"
    "Proceed."
    At a nod from York, a tall, thin man came forward and was sworn in. After taking the stand, he identified himself as Frank Haley, a technician employed in the photographic laboratory of the Quik Battery Corporation. York handed him a sheaf of photographs. "Have you ever seen these pictures before?"
    Haley glanced at them briefly. "Yes, Mr. York. I processed. these photographs myself. They’re shots taken by an electronic high-resolution camera which went up in the test balloon, the one we have reference to."
    "And what do they show?"
    "They show Tom Swift’s plane, the Sky