Commandant Jiel of the Dorsai must travel to Earth to tell a father about the death of his son. The father is the creator of the robots used by the military. When he developed them, his plan was to use them to make life better for humanity. Then the military stepped in.

When he arrives on Earth, he is greeted by a robot. It does not bother him but the natives have a different opinion. Robots are not welcome on Earth. The natives view the robots as inventions who stole their jobs.

The story becomes the tale of the father. The meeting between the two main characters turns into a touching interchange. Dickson does a good job with revealing what the father is like through his talk with the Commandant.