Produced by Sankar Viswanathan, Greg Weeks, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net Transcriber's Note: Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. [Illustration: _Horrified with fear, the men threw themselves to the deck_] A RICK BRANT SCIENCE-ADVENTURE STORY THE ELECTRONIC MIND READER BY JOHN BLAINE GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS NEW YORK, N. Y. (C) BY GROSSET & DUNLAP, INC., 1957 * * * * * Contents CHAPTER PAGE I THE MILLION-DOLLAR GIMMICK 1 II THE INVASION OF SPINDRIFT 10 III A SYSTEM WITHIN A SYSTEM 24 IV A HAIRCUT AND A WINK 33 V JANIG RUNS A SECURITY CHECK 45 VI A CALM PRECEDES A STORM 55 VII THE PERIPATETIC BARBER 65 VIII THE MIND READER STRIKES 74 IX DAGGER OF THE MIND 86 X SEARCH FOR STRANGERS 94 XI THE DANGEROUS RESEMBLANCE 105 XII THE COAST GUARD DRAWS A BLANK 119 XIII THE MEGABUCK MOB ACTS 130 XIV SURVEILLANCE--WITH CEREAL 148 XV A MATTER OF BRAIN WAVES 154 XVI THE VANISHING MERMAIDS 164 XVII POINTER TO DISASTER 179 XVIII THE ONE-MAN BOARDING PARTY 186 XIX TAPED FOR TROUBLE 194 XX JANIG CLOSES IN 202 * * * * * THE ELECTRONIC MIND READER CHAPTER I The Million-Dollar Gimmick Rick Brant stretched luxuriously and slid down to a half-reclining, half-sitting position in his dad's favorite library armchair. He called, "Barby! Hurry up!" Don Scott looked up from his adjustment of the television picture. "What's the rush? The show hasn't started yet." Rick explained, "She likes the commercials." A moment later Barbara Brant appeared in the doorway, hastily finishing a doughnut. Rick cocked an eyebrow at her. "If you're going to eat, you might at least bring a plateful, so we can have some, too." Barby gulped. "Sorry. I didn't intend to have a doughnut. I went to the kitchen to see if Mom and Dad wanted to watch the show, and they were having doughnuts and milk." "Never mind," Scotty said. "We forgive you. We'll get ours later. Are Mom and Dad coming?" "Maybe later. Now be quiet, please, so I can hear the commercial."