Whilst investigating the death of a local swordsman, an energetic fishmonger called Daniel Clifford uncovers a legend about a supernaturally-cursed, warped ruler circulating throughout Scotland. As soon as anyone uses the ruler, he or she has exactly 29 days left to live.
The doomed few appear to be ordinary people during day to day life, but when photographed, they look grey. A marked person feels like a skinny bear to touch.
Daniel gets hold of the ruler, refusing to believe the superstition. A collage of images flash into his mind: a moist snake balancing on a skinny swordsman, an old newspaper headline about a safari accident, a hooded mouse ranting about spots and a drinking well located in an industrial place.
When Daniel notices his warts have bear-like properties, he realises that the curse of the warped ruler is true and calls in his grandfather, a private detective called Sandie Meadows, to help.
Sandie examines the ruler and willingly submits himself to the curse. He finds that the same visions flash before his eyes. He finds the moist snake balancing on a skinny swordsman particularly chilling. He joins the queue for a supernatural death.
Daniel and Sandie pursue a quest to uncover the meaning of the visions, starting with a search for the hooded mouse. Will they be able to stop the curse before their time is up?