Tom Swift and His Outpost in Space by Victor Appleton II Page B

consecutive images would follow each other so rapidly that they would not show any obvious motion of the plane, as these do. I’d like to know what happened to the rest of them."
    Haley cleared his throat and glanced uncomfortably at his employer. Before he could reply, York snapped at Tom, "What concern is that of yours?"
    "I’d like to see them," Tom said evenly. "They may be important evidence. In fact, they might even show that I never rammed your balloon at all—especially the later ones showing the Sky Queen moving away from the balloon before it burst!"
    "Well, you’re out of luck," York retorted. "They don’t show anything of the kind."
    "What do they show?"
    "Nothing! The rest of the prints were all spoiled."
    Judge Grover leaned forward on his elbows. "Does the witness concur in that statement?" he asked.
    "Oh yes, sir. I do," replied Haley, nodding hastily and nervously.
    The judge frowned for a moment, then announced, "I believe you’d better produce those images anyhow, Mr. York. I’ll explain why. You see, I can accept that all the images taken after the alleged collision might have been ruined. But this court has some difficulty with the notion that the earlier intervening images were completely spoiled—prophetically, as it were—leaving behind those very few others that happen to support your contention." He looked sternly at York over his glasses. "In fact, sir, I suspect it would be in your best interest to make a most solemn effort to enter those missing images into evidence, if you catch my drift."
    The plaintiff was obviously distressed, his face redder than ever. "B-but you just heard—that is—" York glared first at the judge, then at Tom. He looked more than ever like an angry bullfrog about to explode. Finally he grumbled in a sullen, ill-tempered voice: "Oh, very well. I’ll produce them if we can still find the digital cartridges in our lab. But I repeat, they show nothing."
    "A wise decision," said Judge Grover with a smile. "And by the way, Mr. York, you might like to bear in mind that this court does not care to be glared at, as by long tradition only the judge is granted that privilege. Now then, I do note that you allege a second, more recent occasion, in which you allege further interference by a Swift aircraft, this one piloted by Mr. Barclay here. And I see you have again presented a similar series of camera images."
    "Yes, sir," responded York sullenly.
    Chow Winkler suddenly cleared his throat. "Say there, yer Honor, sir, if I could have a say—"
    "Mr. Winkler."
    "Um, well, I’as just lookin’ at that second set o’ pitchers, and they look a lot like t’other ones. And, say—don’t it seem jest a little bit suspectible that both times that there camera was pointed right at where the jet was?"
    Judge Grover smiled broadly. "Whether suspectible or not, you’ve raised something of a question."
    Tom now added, "Your Honor, this camera has a unique 360-degree lens that allows views simultaneously in all directions, from which the image printer then makes a selection. Once again, it appears we are seeing only a very minute portion of the actual evidence."
    Grover nodded. "Mr. York, I will again suggest that—"
    But York interrupted with a near-growl and a wave of his hands. "Since the court chooses to regard those spoiled images as such important evidence, I may as well drop the charges!"
    "Suit yourself, Mr. York," the judge said coldly and brought his gavel down. "Case dismissed!"
    The courtroom onlookers burst out in a surge of chatter and applause, and once again photo-flashes exploded into brilliance as Tom’s family and friends rushed up to congratulate him.
    Sandy planted a kiss on her brother’s cheek and Bud clapped him on the back, exclaiming, "Why didn’t you tell us you were such a legal beagle?"
    Mr. Swift shook Tom’s hand. "Nice going, son! If you weren’t such a first-rate scientist, I’d say you’d missed a legal calling."
    "Thanks, Dad."
    On the way