In the near future, humanity is divided into two groups: normal humans and Teleks.

Teleks have
the ability to move objects using only the power of their minds. The telekinetic abilityis said to be
partly hereditary and partly learned. The story takes place sixty years after the Teleks first
appeared; most of the four thousand Teleks are second-generation, having acquired the ability
shortly after birth. The Teleks live apart from normal humans in Glarietta Pavilion, a floating city.
They collect precious metals from the moon and other planets which they use to purchase menial
labor and other services from ordinary human beings.
The story opens with an attack on a Telek by an enraged worker, followed by the murder of the
Telek. A witness, named Shorn, who is a member of a subversive society, arranges for the body
to be disposed of. The murderer is caught and killed, presumably by the Teleks. The remainder
of the story follows Shorn as he infiltrates Telek society and persuades a Telek to give him
telekinetic powers. In the final scene, Shorn brings 265 normal humans disguised as Teleks to
the first annual Telek convention, where he tricks the assembled Teleks into giving the humans
telekinetic powers.