This book is from the universe of The Phantom Tollbooth long before the events of Milo's quest, and depicts what might have really happened for the Lands Beyond to come to the state it was in when Milo arrived. The native people of what will be come to known as the kingdom of Wisdom are thriving in the Lands Beyond, and the two nations of Thesauria (Dictionopolis) and the Republic of Coefficients (Digitopolis) are basking in the times of peace as one fine morning, a tollbooth appears in the desert that will become Expectations. The story in this book follows the events of the consequences of the land's colonisation by the two young brothers who stumble through the tollbooth and the struggles of the natives against their manipulation. A myriad of fictional politics, warfare and puns await.