Matt Dodson reports to the Colorado base of the Interplanetary Patrol, a new cadet with a fierce desire to become a member of the Patrol, which for over a century has kept the peace throughout the Solar System. Matt and fellow cadets soon leave the Earth base for training on Terra Station, where they learn, among other things, astrogation, survival skills, alien languages and how to maneuver in outer space. Matt loves the Patrol and finds, upon returning for a visit to his family in Iowa, that his real "home" is no longer on Earth.
When a call for help comes from a ship stranded on Venus, Matt is among the cadets chosen to accompany the Patrol Captain on this rescue mission. What they discover after they land on Venus is not what they expected... The cadets and their captain are taken prisoner, and the "rescue" signal came from Matt's old nemesis. Matt and his fellow cadets must learn to negotiate with the Venusians after their Captain is seriously injured. What seemed like a short and exciting adventure to another planet becomes a grueling experience, and the cadets' diplomatic as well as engineering skills and ingenuity are sorely tested.
Robert A. Heinlein's wit and exuberance are on full display here. Published in 1948, long before other writers even imagined cellphones or hydraulic mattresses (waterbeds), readers can enjoy the lively dialog and inventiveness that are hallmarks of Heinlein's work.
