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An atom-powered
car as nimble in water and air as on the road--young Tom Swift’s latest
invention--is an extraordinary achievement. But not even the creator of the
sleek atomicar could anticipate the dramatic role it would play in a technical
aid mission to the untamed Asian land of Kabulistan. Yet first, while
perfecting the atomicar in America, Tom finds himself embroiled in the
fascinating mystery his cousin Ed has brought to him--a fabulous ruby mine,
lost for centuries, the only clues to its location hidden in a rare old book. A
clutch of oddball characters and ruthless business magnates seem to be tied to
the mystery somehow. Or are they? In Kabulistan, Tom and his comrades must pit
skill and courage against a violent and exotic culture, a land of shadowy law,
thieving street thugs, and fierce nomadic tribeman. But this is not a one-sided
conflict between the ancient and the modern. Behind the scenes lurks a
determined foe, dealing in death to protect the fabled secrets of a rugged
country as old as time!