Louis

10 Mile Stereo by Beach House plays.

Turns out The Loudest Perfume Hater was only mad at Lacey ever because she couldn’t compete. Lacey was just genuinely better than her in every way…objectively. And since The Loudest Perfume Hater may not see worth in humans inherently due to her narcissism she got angry.

“They were all just smug and angry in the perfume community out of massive insecurity. They knew they were busted by comparison and it just drove them nuts every time you posted.” says Marilyn Monroe to Lacey.

“So they truly had an enormous amount of antipathy?” says Lacey.

Fall In Love by Phantogram plays.

“Yes.” says Marilyn sadly.

“That’s funny. They were the thing I looked forward to most everyday.” says Lacey.

“Even if they were nice they hated you.” says Louis Hill Jr.’s second wife.

“But not quite like that.” says Marilyn. “You’re street trash compared to Lacey. Aren’t you? And she irritates you?”

The second Mrs. Hill looks bitter and possibly violent towards Lacey.

“I’m dead. And I’m Marilyn Monroe. I’m not scared or intimidated by you, you little rat.” says Marilyn.

“Maybe you’re not a rat. But you seem morally incompetent at times.” says Lacey to Louis Hill Jr.’s wife.

“He raised his kids well though.” says Louis Hill Jr.’s second wife.

“Does she hate Lacey?” asks a woman.

“Yes! Very much so.” says Lacey. “She grew-up in a modest Scandinavian home and she’s not me. I suppose it irritates her.” Lacey smiles. “Narcissists lie. …They are batshit crazy. They don’t truly go around thinking they’re better than other people. They’re just insane. Their sense of self is unstable. But not. …You just simply can’t trust them. And if you care it has to be from a safe distance.”

Slow Life by Grizzly Bear plays.

“No, they’re batshit crazy. …They’re like silly putty. You can’t control them really and they can’t control things well really either. They’re wholly unstable. …They’re American currency without anything securing it, including international trust or interests.” says Lacey.

“You’re right.” says Mrs. Louis Hill Jr. to Lacey. “You know I could like you.” she says.

“You could like most people. You’re actually a very mild mannered person at your best, I bet. Rather…shy even, maybe.” says Lacey.

“Possibly true!” says Marilyn Monroe with a smile.

“Well, that’s nice.” says Lacey sincerely.

Genevra King laughs.

“Lacey’s not mad.” says Genevra.

“My wife isn’t either. My Marilyn.” says Arthur Miller.

“No, you all are.” says Lacey.

“That’s true.” says Elliott.

“Now, I suppose they’ll try some other idiotic bullshit maneuver.” says Lacey growing irritated. She rolls her eyes. She shakes her head back and forth. “Someday I’m going to talk to God, should that be allowed, about why He’s let Earth continue.”

“Well…the English were nice. So were we once.” says Louis Hill Jr..

“Let’s just say it, Louis. Can we? Will your wife allow it?!” asks his great grandmother from Manhattan.

Harold Loeb laughs.

“I think she should say it!” says Harold Loeb’s maternal grandfather about Lacey.

“You’re at war with the oldest money in America.” says Lacey.

Somewhere Ethel grimaces? She can’t be sure she’s not mildly included, if so?

Genevra King smiles.

“Yes! The Seays are included.” says Louis losing his temper. “But she means New Amsterdam.”

“Edith Wharton shit? …You know? The Age Of Innocence? …Manhattan? It’s The Big Apple!” says Edith Wharton. “We’re talkin’ class!”

There, There by Radiohead plays.

The song shifts.

Chemtrails Over The Country Club plays.

“Do you think Mr. Skakel was angry?” asks Genevra. “You know, I bet he was.” She thinks. “But he was probably trying to be nice.”

“Should there be Purgatory?” asks Lacey.

Genevra just stares at her at first and then answers.

“You’d be able to buy her house and restore it?” asks an intellectual of Lacey.

“If I had the money, I would. But it’d be like having her there. I’d not want to intrude or get in her way.” says Lacey.

“Oh no. She’d really be there, possibly.” says Zelda.

“And that’d be nice. But…it would feel like her house.” says Lacey. “And not in some esoteric sense. I’d…worry about being in her room. Or walking in on her. Etc.”

“So these people don’t seem dead?” asks Summertime Sadness.

“Yeah. But see, now they’ll demand or try to demand it be actual schizophrenia even though it almost certainly isn’t by any medical standard.” says Lacey. “They’ll try to convince me of it first and then they’ll try to manifest it in the natural world through witchcraft. Use telepathy or demons or etc. to get a doctor to give me that diagnosis.”

Burn The Witch by Radiohead plays.

“No, they are freaking out and Mr. Blue’s first instinct is to attack. Viciously.” says a Fox News host. “Those women he hangs out with have the same problem.”

“You have no idea how the American class system works, or even what…a class system even is. Do you?” Lacey says to Mr. Blue. “You’re an intellectual dolt.”

“Well, that’s pretty obvious!” says Hubert Humphrey about Mr. Blue. “He’s an idiot.”

“But he went to an Ivy League school and he was raised poor.” says Lacey. “The whole Bat Crew is like that to some degree.”

“You’re right.” says Hubert Humphrey to Lacey. He thinks. He sighs, “You know…your father didn’t necessarily go to an Ivy League school though.”

“Would people have recognized him as old money elite?” asks Lacey.

He sighs. “Yes! In private.”

No One Knows by Queens Of The Stone Age plays.

“But, don’t you think Mr. Blue’s ability to do so well scholastically speaks to some innate intelligence?” asks Lacey.

Hubert Humphrey nods his head in understanding, “Yes. But, confidentially, I don’t think it’s that hard to get into an Ivy League school.”

“Are you mocking me? Or are you trying to say it’s an illusion?” asks Lacey.

“An illusion!” says Hubert Humphrey. He thinks. “It’s all based on being able to tie your shoes faster than the next kid.”

“You really think it’s all just pedantic bullshit?” asks Lacey.

“Mostly. It’s the quality of the school and the supposed connections that matter. And…these fools just outtimed the other kids. Not through some innate intelligence we magically don’t understand neither. Just…through pure speed.”

“So they’re faster work horses?” asks Lacey.

“Yes. They’re efficient.” says Hubert Humphrey. “Scott struggled with efficiency…but he’s our greatest American author in my opinion.”

“Efficiency isn’t all bad though!” says a Freemason.

Can You Hear Them Sing by Cemeteries plays.

“Lacey you HATE efficiency.” says Hubert Humphrey. “Or is more love and hate both?”

“Is It.” says Lacey.

“Yes. It is such a great word.” says Hubert Humphrey.

“The pillars of society are what matter. Like the word it. Efficiency is beautiful but…only the icing on the cake.” says Lacey.

“That sentence still works with the word it missing.” says Hubert Humphrey.

“It does. But it’s in decay.” says Lacey.

“True!” says Lem Billings.

“It sounds daring and chic though.” says Humphrey.

And as the drummer beats to Can Hear Them Sing Lacey is pulled back to England. Because she respects them. They still cared about the English language even while torturing Diana. And that really, actually…does matter. …Not out of spite…out of possible worship of Christ.

National Anthem plays and Lacey walks off to return to Alone in Kyoto by Air.

“It’s chic and daring but it’s also almost putrid.” says Lacey to Hubert Humphrey. The waves crash in the ocean in the background.

“Is this going some where or not?” Louis asks Hubert Humphrey.