“Maybe I don’t, either,” observed Tom.
“Oh, yes you do!” was the quick retort. “And you’ll tell me, too, or I’ll find a way to make you!” The man’s voice was an ugly snarl now.
“We’ll see,” was all Tom said.
Then began a rapid series of questions concerning some of Tom’s recent inventions, including his Air Monarch in which he had circled the globe. As this machine had lately been turned over to the Government for use in the Air Service, there was no secret about it, and Tom had no hesitation in telling things concerning it. He thought it might put Janner in a better humor.
From the Air Monarch, the man switched to other machines about which greater secrecy was desirable, and Tom refused to answer inquiries, though his refusals did not appear to anger Janner much.
“How’s your photo telephone doing these days?” the man suddenly inquired.
“That? Why, most people know all there’s to be known about that. It’s an old invention of mine,” said Tom.
“Is it? But I understand you’re using something like it now to make pictures appear inside a radio machine!” Janner suddenly shot at Tom.
At once the young inventor saw the drift of the inquiries. There had been some leak in connection with his recent work on the talking-picture machine, and these men, or this man, knew about it. Tom did some quick thinking just then.
“I haven’t any machine that will make pictures appear in a radio receiver,” Tom said calmly.