As a baby, Kenneth Mess was stolen from his cradle and replaced with a clay replica. Now he is being raised underground by Clemency Pogue's hobgoblin friend Chaphesmeeso, so that he will eventually become a hobgoblin himself. But that can't happen until the clay baby dissolves. And that "won't" happen, since Inky, the changeling, rarely washes. Which means that the world of Make-Believe is in serious danger.

Once again, an adventure is underfoot for Clemency Pogue as she tries to make the world safe for Make-Believe.