"I can see it now," he said. "The Foundation will be planning an expedition, maybe to be headed by this new naturalist, and we'll be on the outside looking in. And why? Because Dr. Howard Shannon prefers not to be bothered by a couple of kids who wouldn't know one bug from another." "You're crossing bridges before you come to 'em," Scotty pointed out. "For all you know, all three of these new scientists might be perfectly swell gents, like Zircon, Weiss, and Gordon. Why borrow trouble in advance?" "I suppose you're right," Rick had to agree. "But I still can't help thinking about it." "Think all you like," Scotty said generously. "Me, I'm going to put my little gray brain cells to work on Chahda's cable. Aren't you all fired up with curiosity?" Rick started to say he was, but no reply was necessary because just then he heard the sound of the motorboat engine for which his ears had been attuned. He put down the sunglasses and ran for the door. Scotty had heard the engine, too, and was halfway down the hall. It had to be Barby, Rick was sure. The other motorboat--the island had two--was tied up at the pier, and they weren't expecting any visitors. The builders had their own boat, a powered barge, anchored off Pirate's Field. The boys ran out on the front porch and around the house, then down the long flight of stairs that led to the cove where the motorboat landing was located. It was Barby, sure enough, and she had the cable! She waved it wildly, then gunned the boat around neatly so that it slid into the dock. Scotty grabbed the bow line and made fast while Rick jumped for the stern line and slipped it around a cleat on the landing. Barby cut the engine and jumped to the dock, a slim, pretty girl, her face flushed with excitement. "It's from Chahda," she said breathlessly, "and it's in code!" "We know," Scotty said. "Here, let's take a look at it." Barby handed it to him. He scanned it wordlessly, then handed it to Rick. "Son, we'll be doing right well if we make any sense out of that!" "He wouldn't send us anything in a code we couldn't read," Rick objected. "Let's see it. It can't be too hard." But in the next moment he changed his mind. His lips pursed in a low whistle. This was the cable: RICK BRANT SPINDRIFT ISLAND NEW JERSEY, U.S.A. 5213039 6231581 1219456 2768612 2144644 9123299 3970731 6017747 1044914 3327116 6074193 4399693 0531612 1330552 3047171 3193986 8128912 7011716 0762878 3377335 3831075 5371011 3552684 3012963 3532456 8337373 9104476 1605588 2540551 2826677 9513148 3189710 4811223 5202998 5912492 3432174 3302710 7072010 1510108 4423007 3331954 7893623 L. CHAHDA CHAPTER II The Cipher Message Barby, Rick, and Scotty were in the library when Hartson Brant walked in. They were reduced to the point of staring at each other helplessly because of the magnitude of the task that confronted them.