"Didn't think we'd be needing Spindrift again so soon," Steve said. He walked to meet the others and shook hands all around. "Let's get busy," he said to Hartson Brant. Rick, Scotty, and Barby followed the two into the library. Mrs. Brant took the pilot into the dining room for coffee while Professor Weiss excused himself and went on to the laboratory. His apparent lack of interest would have amazed anyone who didn't know him, but Rick knew that when Julius Weiss was wrapped up in one of his theoretical math problems, nothing else on earth could find room in his mind. Steve looked at the scientist. "What caused you to reconsider?" "This." Hartson Brant handed him the translation of Chahda's cable, then the original. "We broke the code last night. It was a book code, using _The World Almanac_. Chahda knew we'd be able to puzzle it out." Steve scanned the number groups briefly. "Clever," he commented. He read through the clear copy twice, and his jaw tightened. "This explains something that has puzzled me." "A good thing," Rick said. "Because all we got was the puzzlement. No explanations." Steve tapped the cable thoughtfully. "I hate to ask you to tackle this job, but you must have some ideas about it or you wouldn't have sent that wire." Hartson Brant nodded. "I explained my situation to you on the phone when you called a few days ago. The situation hasn't changed, but I must admit this cable from Chahda puts a new light on the matter. That boy is a member of the family." "Then you'll go?" "I don't want to, quite frankly. I will if there is no alternative. I lost a lot of sleep last night making that decision. But first, I want to propose that some member of my staff go in my stead." Steve walked to the desk and perched on its edge. "Which one?" "You know them all. You also know their specialties. Which of them would fit your requirements best?" "Zircon. He's a nuclear physicist." Rick held his breath. Steve was continuing: "Chahda urges Rick and Scotty to get jobs, too. I hadn't considered that, but it's not a bad idea." Rick closed his eyes and let out his breath in a sigh of relief. Scotty nudged him. Hartson Brant asked, "Then you will consider Zircon as my substitute? Always on condition that he will go, of course." Steve nodded. "I'd prefer you, but I'll take Zircon, if I can make a condition of my own, and that is that you'll fly to the Far East on a moment's notice if he and the boys can't handle it." Rick looked at his father anxiously. Hartson Brant had not given his permission for them to make a trip, but evidently it was all right. The scientist nodded. "I'll agree to that." He went to the telephone and picked up the instrument. "Operator, I want to place a long-distance call." Steve winked at the boys. Then, as Hartson Brant placed the call to Zircon in New Haven, Connecticut, the JANIG man said, "Going to be a couple of tourists at government expense, huh? Pretty soft."