Aspiring young architect, Willum Cubbert has often told his friends about the debt he owes to Rick Steadman, whom he has never met but who saved his life in Vietnam. He has written to Rick to say that, as long as he is alive, "you will have somebody on Earth who will do anything for you"—so Willum is delighted when Rick shows up unexpectedly at his apartment. But his delight soon fades as Rick stays on and on, his continued presence leading to one uproarious incident after another, until the normally placid Willum finds himself contemplating violence—a dire development which is staved off by the surprising ending.