{"id":48191,"date":"2020-04-23T14:34:31","date_gmt":"2020-04-23T18:34:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/lovejoyfeminism\/?p=48191"},"modified":"2020-04-23T14:34:31","modified_gmt":"2020-04-23T18:34:31","slug":"island-of-aquarius-meet-the-completely-impossible-cult","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lovejoyfeminism\/2020\/04\/island-of-aquarius-meet-the-completely-impossible-cult.html","title":{"rendered":"Island of Aquarius: Meet the (Completely Impossible) Cult"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Escape from the Island of Aquarius, pp. 17-25<\/strong><\/p>\n

After bringing their boat close enough that they can step out into \u201cshallow\u201d water, the Coopers disembark.<\/p>\n

Dr. Cooper let Jay and Lila go ahead so he could keep watch from the rear, and away they went in single file.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Good thinking.<\/p>\n

Darkness and an ominous silence surrounded them as they followed that big man with the bright burning torch on his head, the torch casting long shadows that danced far back among the trees.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That last bit isn\u2019t bad, as writing goes.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s evening, so they\u2019re traversing in the dark. This means that when they come to a rope bridge they can hear, but not see, water far below. Lila balks.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no! I can\u2019t go over that!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Someone noted last week that while Peretti makes Lila the scared and nervous one because she\u2019s the girl, this sometimes has the side effect of making her seem like the only sane of the bunch. In situations that are genuinely dangerous, when Dr. Cooper is asking his children to do things that are legitimately a bad idea,\u00a0<\/em>Lila is the one who says what everyone else really\u00a0ought to\u00a0<\/em>be saying.<\/p>\n

Quick side note\u2014when Peretti described the path they\u2019re following as \u201cprimitive\u201d I decided not to remark on that, but he describes the ropes of the road bridge as \u201cprimitive\u201d as well. In what sense are these ropes primitive?<\/em> The fact that Paretti is repeatedly using this word, after describing a Polynesian man as \u201cprimitive\u201d in the previous chapter, in a book set in the South Pacific, is surely not coincidental.<\/p>\n

Anyway, Jay and Dr. Cooper have a back and forth about how odd the sound of the water is. They think it sounds like a waterfall, but somehow different. I\u2019ll go ahead and tell you: it\u2019s a whirlpool.<\/em> Does anyone know what a whirlpool sounds like? Because I<\/em> didn\u2019t. So I googled it and the answer appears to be \u2026 pig noises. I\u2019m reading that whirlpools sound like the grunting of a pig. Huh. Interesting.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how the noise is described in the book:<\/p>\n

From somewhere came a deep, throaty, gargling roar of water.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And then later:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The sound was very strange, not like the usual dashing, splashing sound of a river, and not like the usual crashing and thundering of a waterfall.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

They aren\u2019t able to figure it out.\u00a0A pig sound actually makes sense, now that I think about it\u2014a sort of sucking. Is that what they\u2019re actually describing? I\u2019m not sure. Anyway! There\u2019s a whirlpool!<\/p>\n

Dr. Cooper adds this as they cross:<\/p>\n

\u201cThey say that Adam MacKenzie drowned, even though he was an excellent swimmer\u2026\u201d Dr. Cooper said thoughtfully.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Say what now? The story is that MacKenzie is missing<\/em>. There\u2019s also a story that no one returns from the island of Aquarius. Where exactly did this story that MacKenzie drowned come from all of a sudden?<\/p>\n

So anyway, they make it across.<\/p>\n

If we have any geologists here, especially anyone who specialize in volcanic activity or volcanic islands, this book will get very interesting\u2014and confusing\u2014later on. When we get there, I\u2019d love to have some expert input in the comments section! For example, can a caldera have a whirlpool in it? I\u2019m guessing not, but then what do I know! Maybe there can!\u00a0<\/em>Why am I asking? No reason! Spoilers!<\/p>\n

They keep following the Polynesian and ultimately come to a village.<\/p>\n

Just wait! This is going to be good<\/em>.<\/p>\n

They rounded a corner, and the trail became a road that led them into a rather quaint village of small cottages and bungalows with a definite, civilized American flavor.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Civilized.<\/em><\/p>\n

The homes were well-built, with durable slate roofs, front porches, and even a few porch swings. They had glass windows, hinged doors, real welcome mats, clotheslines, and electric lights. The Coopers saw people of all ages, working, playing, resting, talking. But these people were not Polynesians. They were civilized Westerners.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Civilized<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Civilized Westerners\u00a0<\/em>no less.<\/p>\n

I mean if he\u2019s going to overuse the word primitive<\/em> I guess it\u2019s only par for the course that Peretti would overuse the word civilized<\/em> too. Just, ugh. This book is not shy!<\/p>\n

But also, but where did all this stuff come from? How is the electricity run? A generator? Where does the fuel come from? If the story about this island is that\u00a0no one ever\u00a0<\/em>returns\u00a0<\/i>then there must not be any trade, any stocking up trips or refueling missions. What, did all these people travel here with glass windows and 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel strapped to their backs? Also, taking all this stuff here, even if it was all brought in on the first haul, would make quite a splash. Someone<\/em> would know about it.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you sure we haven\u2019t come sure somewhere in Ohio?\u201d Jay asked his father and sister.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Ha. Hahaha. Ha.<\/p>\n

Dr. Cooper was visibly surprised. \u201cThis is certainly not the kind of village I expected to find on a remote South Sea island. It must be some kind of \u2026 colony.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Ding! Ding ding ding!\u00a0A broken clock really is<\/em> right twice a day!<\/p>\n

I mean really, let\u2019s call a colony a colony<\/em>. Let\u2019s not pretend westerners traipsing around like this are doing anything other than colonizing<\/em> the places they invade and settle like this. I mean, really<\/em>.<\/p>\n

But actually it\u2019s a cult<\/em>.<\/p>\n

They passed one little house with a woman and two children sitting under the porchlight in the cool of the evening. The woman wore the now-familiar Aquarius medallion around her neck. Dr. Cooper waved and said hello. She waved back but said nothing.<\/p>\n

Three carpenters were relaxing around a small outdoor table and laughing loudly. When the Coopers came by the men immediately fell silent, staring vacantly as the strangers passed.<\/p>\n

The Coopers said good evening, but again they got no answer. Identical copper medallions hung around every man\u2019s neck.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

See? They\u2019re acting weird!<\/em><\/p>\n

No, seriously, though. Think Jonestown<\/a>. Except I don\u2019t think they wore necklaces in Jonestown. Matching necklaces seems like it might be an early tip-off and prevent recruitment. Then again, there was that cult in Oregon<\/a>. The one where they all wore some shade of red or orange.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

So, okay. I\u2019ll buy the necklaces.<\/p>\n

The big Polynesian stepped onto the veranda and rang a very loud brass ship\u2019s bell. Women, men, children, youths, and elders from all around the square began to gather, staring at the Coopers with great curiosity and a little grimness. After a short moment the door of the cottage opened and a man stepped out. He spoke to the Polynesian and then turned his gaze on the three unknowns.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I could split hairs, but\u2014okay fine, I\u2019ll split hairs. Is the bell supposed to signal the people to assemble, or signal their leader that someone needs to meet with him? It seems like maybe both? But in that case, is anyone allowed to call an assembly? The unnamed Polynesian they\u2019ve been following doesn\u2019t have any position of leadership in the group. This isn\u2019t some sort of non-hierarchical cult, either.<\/p>\n

About the man who came out of the cottage:<\/p>\n

He was middle-aged, strong looking, with graying hair, piercing eyes, and a very impressive air of authority. A very ornate copper medallion dangled from his neck.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

He just stands there and stares at them with \u201ca cold expression\u201d on his face. Finally, he says:<\/p>\n

\u201cWelcome to the Isle of Aquarius. Who are you, where do you come from, and what brings you here?\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Notice that he does not introduce himself. He does not give them a name. This will become important later. As in, in just a minute.<\/p>\n

Dr. Cooper explains who they are, which is how we learn that Dr. Cooper is the head of \u201cCooper Incorporated, an archeological research firm.\u201d I just reread Trapped at the Bottom of the Sea,<\/em> and in that<\/em> book we learn that Dr. Cooper is a professor. I\u2019m really not sure how all of this fits, except that maybe in the first two books Dr. Cooper is an independent researcher and then in book three Peretti realizes he actually wants him to be a professor. That\u2019s my guess, at least.<\/p>\n

Anyway, Dr. Cooper says he\u2019s looking for Reverend Adam MacKenzie of the International Missionary Alliance. Things are about to get\u00a0awkward.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The man exchanged just the quickest little glance with some of the gathered people and then he broke into a smile, something he had not seemed capable of.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I think we\u2019re supposed to be gathering that this is all shady as heck.<\/p>\n

Which, yeah.<\/p>\n

The slight smile on the man\u2019s face faded quickly as Dr. Cooper told about the dead man on the primitive raft.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And that\u2019s number three! Everything\u2019s all\u00a0primitive\u00a0<\/em>in this book!<\/p>\n

Dr. Cooper produced a photograph. Several people gathered to look at it, and then gasped and muttered.<\/p>\n

\u201cTommy!\u201d They said. \u201cIt\u2019s Tommy!\u201d<\/p>\n

The man looked at the picture and scowled, shaking his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cTommy was our nickname for him,\u201d he said mournfully. \u201cHe was a very sweet person. We all loved him.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Um, what? Why is it important that that\u2019s a nickname? \u201cYeah, that\u2019s Bill. That is, Bill was our nickname for him,\u201d said no one ever. Seriously, no explanation needed. It\u2019s Tommy<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the thing: dude is a cult leader. For everything Peretti does badly, I feel like he\u2019s portraying this fairly well. I mean, sure, he\u2019s being a bit awkward about it. It feels a bit clumsy. But I know enough about Jonestown, and Waco, and Rajneeshpuram in Oregon, to be totally onboard with this portrayal.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you have any idea how he ended up adrift and dead in the middle of the ocean?\u201d Dr. Cooper asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was alive when he left here on that raft,\u201d said the man, \u201cBut his death is certainly no surprise. it may be hard for you to understand, not having lived here in this place, but \u2026\u201d The man raised his voice as if he wanted all the people to hear. \u201cThere are very powerful energies still at work on this island, created by ancient traditions. The more primitive observer would call it\u2014forgive me\u2014magic. At any rate, we still encounter these forces from time to time, and one such manifestation is the terrible madness, an inescapable curse that sometimes besets people here. The native word is\u00a0Moro-Kunda;\u00a0<\/em>it means the Madness Before Death. It has no known cause, no known cure, and it is always fatal.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That is the\u00a0fourth\u00a0<\/em>use of the word \u201cprimitive\u201d in one chapter.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll spoil something for you\u2014the madness is caused by the bite of a fly this guy brought with him from elsewhere, that he he is using to cause madness in those who turn against him, to keep everyone else in line. I don\u2019t know of any cult leaders who ever used something quite like this to control their followers, but I\u2019ll go for it\u2014cult leaders are nothing if not manipulative.\u00a0Cult leaders also need to control their followers, and convincing them that anyone who starts doubting goes mad sounds pretty effective.<\/p>\n

One woman who survived Jonestown because she was transferred to the group\u2019s Georgetown office Jones wanted his most dedicated supporters there to meet the congressional delegation. Good cult leaders are manipulative. That\u2019s how they get and keep a following. The amount of energy that goes into keeping one\u2019s followers, and preventing them from leaving or questioning by whatever means necessary, can be enormous. It\u2019s unsurprising that the cult leader in this book would be up for underhanded tactics, especially given that he\u2019s already isolated his followers by bringing them here.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s something to bear in mind, though\u2014if the madness is induced by a fly brought to the island by this leader, his story about a native tradition of \u201cMoro-Kunda\u201d is completely invented. While I reread this book before starting this review series, I can\u2019t remember whether Peretti realizes this.<\/p>\n

Peretti keeps using the word \u201cprimitive,\u201d and not ironically. Given that, does he realize that what\u2019s going on here has nothing<\/em> to do with the \u201cprimitive\u201d traditions of the native groups? Does he realize it instead has everything<\/em> to do with a white westerner inventing<\/em> primitive traditions to suit his own purposes, and benefiting from white westerners\u2019 racism,<\/em> which renders them particularly credulous to the wildest fictional story if you use words like \u201cancient traditions of primitive native tribes\u201d?\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

This story is not an indictment of native tribes so much as it is an indictment of white westerners\u2019 racism and the way they view native tribes, but\u00a0I don\u2019t think Peretti realizes that.<\/em>\u00a0(I just reread\u00a0Trapped at the Bottom of the Sea,\u00a0<\/em>which is\u00a0also\u00a0<\/em>set in the Pacific, and let me just say that based on that, I don\u2019t think Peretti gets what he\u2019s actually doing in this book. I kid you not, in that<\/em> book there\u2019s a tribe of cannibals, and there\u2019s a (white, western) missionary in that story too, and the whole portrayal is just so<\/em> gross.)<\/p>\n

So! Moro-Kunda<\/em> is a curse this white western cult leader invented to control his followers and make sure they don\u2019t question him or leave. And they really can\u2019t<\/em> leave, anyway, because when Tommy tried to leave the only way he had to do that was on a hastily constructed raft.<\/p>\n

Anyway, back to cult leader:<\/p>\n

\u201cThis curse fell upon Tommy. He went mad, and though we tried to stop him, he fabricated that crude raft and fled from the island.\u201d The man paused dramatically and then added, \u201cBut he couldn\u2019t escape Moro-Kunda.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Okay. Great. Nice spin. (We\u2019ll learn later that the deadly madness-causing fly was planted on Tommy before he left, maybe in his belongings, because of course it was.)<\/p>\n

Dr. Cooper asks about the note in Tommy\u2019s pocket, in MacKenzie\u2019s handwriting. He says it seemed to be a call for help, and cult leader starts laughing as though he\u2019s amused. Dr. Cooper is not impressed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d Dr. Cooper tried to explain, \u201cMacKenzie was thought to be dead. Drowned.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Again, why drowned?<\/p>\n

\u201cBut now this note could be proof that he\u2019s still alive somewhere\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, he is definitely alive, Dr. Cooper!\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Cooper exchanged glances with Jay and Lila, and asked, \u201cThen \u2026 you know this MacKenzie?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cQuite well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know where we can find him?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have<\/em> found him,\u201d said the man with a smile. \u201cI am Adam MacKenzie!\u201d<\/p>\n

Lila chuckled. \u201cWell, that was easy!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Lila is all of us<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Dr. Cooper is a bit suspicious, though. And all of a sudden I have a major question. Has he never seen a picture of MacKenzie? I feel like if I were sending someone to look for a missing person one of the first things I\u2019d do is give them a picture. I get that this is the 1980s, and they didn\u2019t have smartphones, but they did have cameras and they did have pictures, and I know because I saw those kids\u2019 pictures on milk cartons<\/em> when I was a kid. Also, he has MacKenzie\u2019s handwriting. Couldn\u2019t he just ask for a sample?<\/p>\n

At this point Peretti starts referring to the cult leader as MacKenzie, but I\u2019m going to use Fake MacKenzie instead. Just because. Fake MacKenzie says he must have written the note \u201cages ago\u201d and \u201csomehow it got misplaced.\u201d This makes very little sense, especially when he adds this:<\/p>\n

\u201cI gave it to Tommy to send through the U.S. Post Office in Samoa. He must have forgotten, and was carrying it in his pocket all this time!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Wait what now? Why would he give it to Tommy to take to the post office if no one ever leaves the island (remember, the story about how no one who goes to the island ever comes back)? And the\u00a0one person\u00a0<\/em>he asked to take the letter to the post office just happened to be the same person who left the island on a homemade raft, and he just happened to have the letter\u2014which Fake MacKenzie says sung the praises of the island and his success there\u2014in his pocket? Sure!<\/p>\n

Now, mind you, I don\u2019t think we\u2019re meant to find this story all that convincing. We\u2019re told Dr. Cooper \u201cforced a smile\u201d after Fake MacKenzie told him all this. But still, come on! This is just so obvious. It seems like the best thing for Dr. Cooper to do is to leave as soon as possible, without saying anything contrary of Fake MacKenzie, and notify the authorities that something weird<\/em> is going on.<\/p>\n

Because it very clearly is.<\/p>\n

As for Fake MacKenzie, he\u2019s more interested in singing the praises of the island than anything else.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere one might expect a remote, untouched island with a very primitive culture at best, one finds instead a beautiful new world, a bold new civilization, a literal heaven on earth!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

My god, there\u2019s that word again\u2014for a\u00a0fifth\u00a0<\/em>time.<\/p>\n

He turned to the big Polynesian. \u201cCandle, take the Coopers\u2019 packs and belongings into the guest hut. They can stay with us tonight and get a fresh start back in the morning!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Yes. Do that. Sleep there and then\u00a0get.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Dude, this is all happening\u00a0after\u00a0<\/em>Jonestown, and Dr. Cooper has his kids with him. Surely he remembers what happened to the congressional delegation that came in to check things out.\u00a0Bad things.\u00a0<\/em>This is very clearly a potentially dangerous situation, and you\u2019re there alone, with two children.\u00a0Leave!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, and Candle\u2026\u201d said MacKenzie, \u201cI think you can extinguish that thing now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Candle took a tall hat from his belt and put it on, snuffing out the torch.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

WTAF.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s still rather primitive,\u201d explained MacKenzie. \u201cEven though we now produce our own electricity, he can\u2019t give up his old, traditional means of lighting his way.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Alright, but\u00a0who started calling him Candle?\u00a0<\/i>I am pretty damn sure that\u2019s not his name, and I\u2019m also pretty damn sure\u00a0he has an\u00a0actual name.\u00a0<\/i>Would using his actual name be so hard?<\/p>\n

I mean I get that Fake MacKenzie is the bad guy here, but I don\u2019t get the feeling Fake Mackenzie\u2019s calling this poor man \u201cCandle\u201d was inserted into this story as some sort of indictment.<\/p>\n

Ugh.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, and Doctor\u2026\u201d MacKenzie gave Dr. Cooper\u2019s gun a raised eyebrow. \u201cIf our people seem a little alarmed at your presence, it could be because of your weapon. We have no weapons here. This is an island of perfect peace.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This sent me back to the previous chapter for a description of the gun, where I found this: \u201cDr. Cooper reached for his 357 revolver and buckled it on.\u201d So he\u2019s wearing it bucked around his waist, and presumably isn\u2019t wearing a jacket over it or anything. That at least makes more sense than him carrying it around in his hands, which is what I first thought when Fake MacKenzie mentioned it.<\/p>\n

Finally, we get an ad for the commune:<\/p>\n

MacKenzie looked around the square, pointing out particular faces as he said, \u201cThese are people from all walks of life, from lawyers to doctors, from carpenters to college professors. They came from America, from Great Britain and Australia. Some are from France and Germany. All share in our dream, Doctor.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I\u2019m sensing a theme here: they\u2019re all from western countries. Mostly anglophone, plus France and Germany in western Europe.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhich is?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur own brand-new world, a place free from crime, war, bloodshed, and greed. We\u2019ve left the old world behind, we\u2019ve escaped the rat race, and now we are building a new world for ourselves. Let me show you around!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This really feels very Jonestown, except that it lacks Jonestown\u2019s focus on racial justice.<\/p>\n

MacKenzie gave them a tour of the village, form one end to the other.<\/p>\n

\u201cSee here?\u201d he said, pointing this way and that. \u201cWe have our own water system, sewer system, and electric power. It took years of backbreaking work, but we accomplished it.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Did you know that Jonestown was never self sufficient? I didn\u2019t until recently! They weren\u2019t even able to produce enough food to feed everyone there. So color me skeptical of all of this<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a question: if they have a functioning sewer system, where did they get the piping? Remember, first, that no one off island knows this group is here; and second, there\u2019s a story that no one who goes to the island ever comes back. These both mean that there isn\u2019t any trade going on. So where did the sewer pipes come from? They can\u2019t just make their own plastic or smelt their own metals.<\/p>\n

And what does having a water system mean? Running water? Same problem as above\u2014where did they get the pipes, the faucets, even the sinks? And the glass windows? Pretty sure they don\u2019t have a glass blower. Slate roofs? Had to come from somewhere!<\/p>\n

Look, there are two options: live like the native population does (which I think in this case would mean living in dwellings constructed of materials available on the island), or import western style materials. Native groups that live in traditional villages aren\u2019t sitting on ironworks and plastics factories and just not using them. You can\u2019t import enough piping for a sewer system, and material for slate roofs and glass windows and an entire electric power system (whatever that means) without people outside the island knowing you\u2019re there, which is what Peretti wants us to believe is going on.<\/p>\n

Just, no<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe sign of Aquarius is an international symbol for a coming age of world peace. We are realizing that right here, right now.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I have no idea whether this is based in any sort of reality or not, but I do know that Dr. Cooper follows this up by asking where there church is, because that is of course the most important question to ask here. Fake MacKenzie says they talk about spiritual matters in their meeting house.<\/p>\n

Okay, I\u2019m done. For this week, that is.<\/p>\n

I have a <\/b>Patreon<\/b><\/a>! Please support my writing!\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Someone noted last week that while Peretti makes Lila the scared and nervous one because she’s the girl, this sometimes has the side effect of making her seem like the only sane of the bunch. In situations that are genuinely dangerous, when Dr. Cooper is asking his children to do things that are legitimately a bad idea,\u00a0Lila is the one who says what everyone else really\u00a0ought to\u00a0be saying.<\/p>\n

Click through to read more!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":845,"featured_media":48199,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1094],"class_list":["post-48191","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-island-of-aquarius"],"yoast_head":"\nIsland of Aquarius: Meet the (Completely Impossible) Cult<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Someone noted last week that while Peretti makes Lila the scared and nervous one because she's the girl, this sometimes has the side effect of making her seem like the only sane of the bunch. In situations that are genuinely dangerous, when Dr. Cooper is asking his children to do things that are legitimately a bad idea,\u00a0Lila is the one who says what everyone else really\u00a0ought to\u00a0be saying. 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