Now that Peter's father is retired, he spends most of his time doing household projects. Peter and his mother go shopping and decide to buy some wicker garden furniture. Peter notices a strange man hanging around the furniture. The man, who calls himself the Doctor, says he is examining the furniture for sentience, then invites himself to a barbecue at Peter's house. Peter's father has started to spend a lot of time sitting on one of the garden chairs, ignoring things like food and cold weather. His mother is worried.