The Guardians are stymied. A rogue story has erupted into reality out of fiction, and they cannot Watch it. The characters there are fictional, but have become real. And worst of all, not only can no Guardians Watch this story, an evil Guardian has entered it. In despair, the Head Guardian calls upon Clondo, the wisest of the immortal watchers of the stories, who challenged the Twelve themselves and was permitted to marry one of his characters. With the Hand of the Bean, eight fay-creatures of immense power, Clondo and his wife enter the rogue story. There the Guardian finds he can only call down cliches, and that his adversary is similarly hampered, having Plot Devices alone at his command. A battle of Cliches against Plot Devices ensues....