2. What analogies are suggested by Bishop FitzPatrick's description of robots as "people of synthetic origin"?

3. Why does the narrator perceive the mixture of medieval ritual and futuristic technology as "the most truly contemporary moment I have ever experienced"?

4. What are the usual associations with the robot icon? Are any of those associations being invoked in the story?

5. Compare this story with Phyllis Gotlieb's "Tauf Aleph"—why are robots such a useful test case for religious beliefs?