"Make with the signals first," said Channing. "And lay off the potables until we finish this silly job."
"You've got it. Is there a common, garden variety, transmitting key in the place?"
"Probably. We'll have to ask. Why?"
"Ask me."
Don removed his arm from Arden's waist. He picked up a spanner and advanced upon Franks.
"No!" objected Arden. "Poison him—I can't stand the sight of blood. Or better, bamboo splinters under the fingernails. He knows something simple, the big bum!"
"Beer and sandwiches?" asked Walt.
"Beer and sandwiches," agreed Don. "Now, Tom Swift, what gives?"
"I want to key the inner component of the beam. Y' see, Don, we're using the same frequency, by a half dozen megacycles, as their meteor spotter. I'm going to retune the inner beam to their frequency and key it. Realize what'll happen?"
"Sure," agreed Don, "but you're still missing the boat. You can't transmit keyed intelligence with an intermittent contact."