Hey, man.
Can I get four...
twenty-three on pump six, please?
I'd like to add that to my purchase.
Found something.
- Salvation? - Better.
And I'd like to trade it...
for the watch.
- You found this at the beach? - Yep.
That's a Lynx ring.
You have to be a Lynx to get one.
How about that? What's a Lynx?
They're a fraternal order, like the Masons or the Elks.
The Masons and the Elks. All right.
All right, so what's it worth?
Nothing.
It's not real gold.
What?
- Really? - Someday you'll know the difference.
Well, there's a... there's an inscription on it here.
Do you speak Latin, Burt?
I'm fluent.
"Superius sicut inferius."
I've never heard of the Lynx.
They have a lodge over by the...
Orbis plant.
The Orbis plant? I drive by there every day.
I've never seen it.
I'm taking a break.
All right, Hermie!
Hermie-Dermie!
Herm.
Can you give me anything for it, man?
If you need cash, I can open up another line of credit for you.
Never again.
Eighty-nine-point-nine percent. How do you sleep at night?
The Dollar Center's at 126.6%.
You're a parasite, Burt.
My dad always said that you were the saddest,
most pathetic piece of shit that he ever met.
And you know what? He was right.
All right,
what will you give me for this?
- Hello. - Hey.
Your sister called here, looking for you.
What did she want?
To know when you're getting a cell phone.
Well, I don't live in phone land any more.
Where are you living right now?
In the past, Alice. In the past.
Give me three sprinkles,
three twisties... and a bear claw.
Look at you.
Yeah, well, I just saw my financial advisor, so...
Oh, yeah.
Knight's king to bishop's pawn,
and then a double-queen zigzag.
Do it.
- So, are you going out later? - I'm working all day.
- Too bad. The swell's picking up. - How would you know?
Well, because my eyes still work, Alice.
Then stop being a pussy and come out with me.
- You've got to get back in the water. - You know what?
I've got better things to do, OK?
Hey, bud.
This isn't junk.
It's a classic.
I see you!
Yeah, you!
You better move!
- Yeah, yeah. - Yeah!
Why don't you come back?
Come back!
Here you go - all the glories of creation.
- You take Bitcoin? - No cryptocurrencies. Cash only.
That's $50.
Great.
My name is Dr. Blaise St. John,
and I would like to thank you for making me your apothecary of choice.
OK.
You must love it when the rich kids come down from Palos Verdes.
They're second only to the angels themselves.
I have your earth, wind, and fire kit ready to go.
Everything you need is right in there, including instructions.
Once it's mixed together, just rub it into his fur,
or wherever there's irritation.
Thank you. And Fernando thanks you.
See you at the tavern tonight?
No. After work, I'm playing nine with Larry and... I've got other stuff.
- Hot date? - What?
No.
Are you OK? You look stressed.
I'm not sleeping. It's the crows in my neighborhood.
They wake me up. They're everywhere.
Signs and symbols, Ernie.
The augury of birds, man! Come on.
Paracelsus says this sort of thing usually foretells doom.
Fantastic.
I mean... that's just an FYI.
Ernie, my friend!
I'm not your friend today.
This is a search-and-destroy mission.
You can count our brass.
Pete says we need stops and connectors.
- Nickel and dime. - It's a golden age.
Captain's doing that infill in Torrance. Fifty units.
Half the plumbers bidding that job buy from you.
It's on hold. I heard Captain's getting sued.
He's always getting sued. He's a rapacious son of a bitch.
But when that suit goes away -
and it will - you're gonna need stock on your shelves.
Or do you want to hang your plumbers out to dry with Captain?
Not a good idea... with Orbis about to shut its doors for good.
- What are you hearing about all that? - Just rumors.
But with all that acreage, all those hangars
and factories and office buildings,
Orbis is the last big redevelopment project in Long Beach,
and I guarantee Captain will be in the middle of it.
Orbis. Well, that bums me out.
My dad was a mechanic there a million years ago.
My father was a janitor there.
Graveyard shift.
OK, Ernie.
- Write it up. - Already did.
Give me the P.O.
Let me ask you something.
You ever actually met Captain?
Of course.
I know everybody.
Hey! Listen, good news.
I can get square by the end of the month.
I've got a nice commission coming.
What?
No.
Come on, man. I just need a couple of weeks.
Hello?
Damn.
Hey!
Nice try!
This is a Cadillac!
Hello?
You're looking at 600 square feet.
Really?
Well, give or take.
And all-new fixtures in the kitchen,
more or less.
Does that bottle of Jim Beam come with the apartment?
Christ.
Sean, are you here?
Sean!
Hey, Mr. Lang!
Hi, Sean. Could you please get the hell out?
I'm sorry. Yeah, leaving now.
- I'll get my stuff. - But wait.
Dud?
- Beth? - Yeah.
Well, long time.
Yeah! Tim, this is Sean Dudley.
He was my date to homecoming, senior year.
Yeah, don't worry about it. We didn't get very far.
I blew him.
I've got another showing in ten minutes.
So, how are you?
- I'm great! - Yeah?
Do you live here?
- He did. - Yeah, yeah.
Since no one took my apartment,
I kind of just hang out.
Kind of be like a caretaker for the property.
Yeah, last I heard, you had moved to Mexico
and you were surfing.
No, no, no. I took a trip to Nicaragua.
I didn't stay for very long, though. It was...
Yeah, somebody told me that you got attacked by a shark.
A shark? I wish!
No, it was a...
It was... like a...
You know, like a thing...
It doesn't matter. It's a long story. What's new with you?
You know, nothing.
- We got engaged last weekend. - Oh, right!
Of course. Oh, God, I'm sorry.
I'm the worst. Yes. Look!
We should celebrate! What are you guys doing after this?
We both have to get back to work.
Oh, right. Right, right. Yeah.
But, I mean, like, you know, later on in the evening.
- OK. - Really?
Yeah? Really?
Great!
- Cool. That's great. All right. - Should I get your number?
No, don't worry about it. I'll be at Donuts. You can just...
You just stop on by, you guys can meet me there,
and then we'll, you know, figure out a plan from there.
Does that sound good?
- Yeah, Donuts. That's good. - If...
- Good. Great. - Great.
OK. Mr. Lang, see you later.
- Yeah, you, too, Sean. - OK.
If you come back here, I'll call the police.
Yeah, you got it.
Behold the maestro.
Oh, shut the hell up.
Beautiful!
You sliced it a little.
What the hell, dude?
Fore!
- Damn hack! - Look around you, son.
This ain't Pebble Beach.
Remember, I'm five strokes up.
Three strokes, you lying bastard.
I don't need this crap. I'm fine.
Listen, that kid I told you about, he's coming tomorrow morning.
OK.
You need to be there, to let him inside and show him what to do.
No problem, Larry. Don't sweat it.
Right here, Alice.
Right here.
The Tongva Indians lived right where I'm standing
for 3,000 years.
For 3,000 years they had the whole coastline to themselves,
from Palos Verdes all the way down to Rancho Crapola, or whatever.
Anyway, pretty much all they did was, like, fish
and then hang out on the beach.
For 3,000 years, Alice.
I don't think that's true.
Well, according to my research, it pretty much is,
so...
Then the Spanish had to come along and ruin everything.
Are you waiting for somebody?
Yeah.
Yeah, they should be here soon.
I can't believe I'm doing this shit.
So, are you coming right here after,
or are you filing from the office?
What?
No. No, I've been keeping him off the bed.
Take a Claritin.
Come on! Come on, it's our anniversary!
You're damn right I'm calling it that.
I bought a romantic candle.
Bay Leaf Irish Moss or some shit.
Fine.
We'll go to the Conquistador.
Can I help you?
Oh, shit.
I'll find you next week for the rest.
Two grand, OK?
I can get it.
The English language is dead.
I'm serious! All the good copy editors are gone.
It's chaos! Look!
They mangled half my sentences
and cut, like, five graphs from the middle.
None of this makes sense!
Bunch of sober 25-year-olds.
Hey!
Am I boring you?
You usually find my rants enthralling.
I do!
More than anything.
Is something wrong? You've been a little far away.
No.
I...
just don't have any vowels.
Last month, I made a few dumb bets.
Ernie! You said...
I know. I know.
Stupid.
Work was slow. I was just trying to pick up the slack. It will be fine.
And then there's Larry.
- Are you worried? You said he's fine. - He is.
Hell, the dude's immortal!
He's been promising to step down for a decade now.
"Get ready, Ernie. I'm sending you on the Grand Tour next year."
Next year never comes.
Stop whining! It's unattractive in a man!
Place is falling apart.
I heard he's getting carpets cleaned.
I'm 59, still living check to check.
I've got nothing to show for the last ten years.
No security, no...
What do you want? You want a pep talk?
Just once, I want to be in charge of something.
- I want to leave my mark. - Hubris.
Hell, yeah! I want my goddamn portrait on the wall!
A year ago, you came back into my life.
I never thought I'd see you again.
Oh, God! Is that the time?
Geez!
Sorry.
Scott's on a new schedule.
No, no, no. I get it.
Hey.
Did you call your sister back?
- No. - How much do you owe her?
A few grand.
She paid off the loan that I took off Burt.
- I'm gonna pay her back. - How?
Three thousand years, Alice.
Three thousand years.
We don't have to live like this.
You know?
Got to be another way.
Carlos, he's back.
Get out of here, now!
- Mom? - Go back inside.
This is our house.
You guys are vultures.
- We paid for this house! - Yeah.
In a foreclosure sale.
No. No!
Here we come!
- Lizzy! - Coming to get you!
Come on, Dad!
- You ready? - Yeah.
One, two, three!
Hey!
Sorry!
No!
God damn it.
Oh, no.
Hello?
Hel...
Hello? Is there anybody in there?
Hello? Is there anybody... Is there anybody in there?
Been waiting for you.
What?
Are you here to do the carpets?
No.
Sorry. There's supposed to be a guy coming to do the carpets.
I found this on the beach.
OK.
Cool.
I'll ask around, see who this belongs to.
Thank you.
Are you OK?
What's inside?
Come inside, see for yourself.
You have your own tavern?
Full bar.
Domestic and imported beers on tap.
Nice!
What's wrong?
Nothing. I just feel like I've been here before.
I remember the Throne Room.
Yeah, well, we rent that out for various functions.
Maybe you were here for a wedding reception or a funeral.
How do I join?
I'm sorry. I'm probably doing this all wrong.
It's a big secret thing, isn't it?
Actually, no, it's not.
All you have to do to join is ask.
We are obligated by tradition to give anyone who's serious a chance.
Can I join?
OK. Well, what's your name?
- Dud. - Is that your Christian name?
Sean. It's Sean Dudley. Yeah.
- Ernie Fontaine. - Mr. Fontaine.
It's very nice to meet you.
And...
- Women can join, too. That's... - Yeah. Negroes, too.
I... It's not...
I was just giving you a hard time. Come on, let's go into the office.
OK.
I hate to admit it, but someone asking to join is rare these days.
Really?
Our membership's been declining for years.
Maybe this is a good sign we need to get younger.
I'll just need your contact info.
Oh, yeah. Yeah, absolutely. OK.
So...
like, what is it that you guys do here?
Community services, recreational activities.
Plus, there's a whole philosophical component -
alchemical, or whatever you want to call it.
But, mainly, we just get together. Tonight's Bunco night.
Well, that sounds great!
You do understand we may not take you?
For all I know, you could be some kind of deadbeat or psycho.
I'm definitely not a psycho, so...
This will give you the basics.
We're having a meeting Saturday at eight o'clock.
You can come and join us before at the tavern.
Come by around seven.
Yeah. OK.
Do I need to do anything, or...
No, you'll hang out with other knights,
and hopefully our Sovereign Protector, Larry Loomis,
if he's out of the hospital.
OK.
Well, I guess...
I just need to know, like... how much does it cost to join?
Oh, yeah.
Two...
Two thousand.
OK. Yeah.
Really? You can get your hands on two grand?
When do you need it by?
Forget it. If you come by Saturday, we can figure out all that stuff.
Great. Well, I'm definitely gonna come, so...
That must be the carpet guy.
OK! See you Saturday.
Yeah. Good to meet you.
Yeah.
See the order I brought in from Boyle Pipe?
I did.
- It's about time. - I was in a slump. Now I'm not.
- My butter and egg man is back! - Can you front me the commission?
I need it, Bob.
Pow! Like now!
Not happening.
The well is dry.
We're waiting on payment from about ten different wholesalers.
- Come on. - It's deadbeat city out there!
No commissions until we get paid.
End of story.
Hey.
Have you ever met Captain?
Me? Never!
Guys like you and me, we don't meet Captain.
We're too far down the food chain.
"The lynx has powerful vision.
So powerful, it can see through walls."
Yeah, right.
I meant that is what people thought in the Middle Ages.
Things were a little different back then.
- What do they even do there? - What do they do?
Well, right here it says
that "the Ancient and Benevolent Order of the Lynx"
seeks to perfect amongst its members
the virtues of wisdom, fortitude,
watchfulness, temperance,
"charity, and love."
- Fun. - Yeah.
And they've got a full bar, so...
And then, when you join,
they assign you this knight,
and he mentors you as you move up grades.
It's pretty cool.
- Lizard! - What is wrong with you?
A guy from the sheriff's office came by to serve you papers.
That family is taking out a restraining order.
Why? They attacked me!
I told you to stay away from the house.
I know.
OK? I know. I just...
I had a bad night.
OK? Just... Listen, hear me out, OK?
When I opened the door and saw the uniform,
I thought he was gonna tell me you were dead.
What?
The way you've been acting lately, I don't know,
I thought...
I thought maybe something happened to you, like...
maybe you jumped off a bridge.
Jesus.
Jesus, Lizzy.
I would never.
I mean, it looks like a bunch of weirdos.
No. No. No, not at all.
The guy I talked to, he's really cool.
So this is your plan,
instead of, like, getting a job?
Well...
I mean, this is gonna open doors for me.
You know? Like, secret handshakes.
That's a big deal.
Lizzy...
My housing situation right now is a little...
- You can have the couch. - Really?
Thank you. Don't worry, it will just be for a few...
Years?
At least I don't make money off my tits.
You owe my tits three grand.
Yeah.
I know. But, you know, it's just money.
Dud, do you know how much I owe the bank?
Yeah.
But that's kind of, you know...
- It's kind of your fault. - My fault?
It's Dad's fault.
It's... It's nobody's fault.
OK?
I owe you,
you owe the bank,
the bank probably owes another bank.
You know? I don't know. It's the circle of life.
You also owe me for the nachos.
- These aren't on the house? - Sorry bastards!
Orbis plant's officially closed.
Last Jupiter flew out of Long Beach this morning.
Yeah, I know. I saw it.
Lizzy.
I'm gonna get it back.
What?
All of it.
The shop.
The house.
Dad's watch.
Everything.
It's all gone, Dud.
Why can't you see that?
I've got a good feeling about this kid.
- I think he's special. - He just showed up?
Larry hired him to do the carpets. We got to talking.
His name's Arturo.
He's 25
and he's running his own business.
Just what we need.
What about the dude that found the ring?
He won't show up. He's a bullshitter.
I called the home number he left.
It's for a donut shop.
That sounds like a psycho.
All hail the king!
He's alive!
You're damn right!
Now, let's roll some dice.
Go! Threes. Wish me luck.
- Just roll. - Yes!
Hell, yeah! Way to go, baby!
Ernie, you playing?
Ernie.
It's time for succession.
I know, you've heard it before, but I mean it.
In the hospital, I thought it would be a bummer
if I checked out before you got your chance.
It's time to put your ugly mug... on the wall.
Oh, man.
This is a big step.
You don't even realize how big.
Next couple of weeks,
we've got a lot to talk about.
Did you talk to London? Is it official?
London, yeah. Yeah, sure.
Don't worry.
- Hey. - Hey.
Why don't you sit down?
Dinner's almost ready.
You know, you're not an indentured servant.
You had all these avocados,
so I figured I'd make my famous seven-layer dip.
Except it's a three-layer version.
How was your day?
My day? Oh, well, today was great.
Yeah, I really feel like the work I'm doing
is having a positive impact on the community.
Well, I'll cut some limes for vodka tonics.
Fantastic!
The enguacification of the avocado
is one of mankind's great leaps.
I swear to God, if this guy says "man cave" one more time...
They will take the one with the finished basement.
- Yeah, they are. - No.
No, they're not. She hated the appliances.
Well, she had every right to.
She wanted stainless steel, and they weren't stainless steel.
Now she's complaining about the ceilings?
This bitch can burn in hell.
So, do you actually think these guys are gonna help you?
Yeah.
I mean, I hope so.
It's...
It's not even that. It's...
What?
I remember...
this one garage sale that Dad took us to.
The people were selling this full-length mirror,
and they had it...
laid out on the lawn.
And I remember standing over the mirror...
and it was like I was looking down into the sky.
It was the weirdest feeling.
It was like there was this whole other world
just right below us.
And I wanted to jump through.
That's how I felt when I walked into the Lodge.
So I have to go back.
Good night.
Signature loan.
Three grand, minus $50 for a phone.
Do you want me to go over the terms and conditions?
No, thank you. I know them by heart.
Isn't this bad business for you,
loaning money to a guy like me?
Doesn't worry me. Your sister will bail you out, like last time.
You know what? Forget it.
I feel sorry for you, Burt,
because no one in this world cares about you,
and you're a dickhead, and you're gonna die alone.
Thank you. Come again.
- Hi. - Hello.
Ernie told me to come by.
Oh, you must be Arturo.
No, I'm Dud.
OK.
Great. Welcome.
I'm Blaise. Ernie will be here in a couple of minutes.
May I offer you a domestic lager?
It's on the house.
That would be great.
Thank you. That's...
You know, it's funny, I... lived here my whole life,
and I've never... noticed this place.
Yeah, well, sometimes...
you can't see something until you're looking for it.
Guess so.
Seen and unseen, man.
The kingdom is right in front of us.
- You made it. - Yeah.
Hey.
Man, dig your gear!
- So, this is the guy? - Yeah.
Yeah, well, great job on the carpets.
Thanks. What?
No, this isn't Arturo.
Is he here, Arturo?
No. OK. Well, that's fine.
This is... the other guy.
- I'm Dud. - Ben.
- Hi. Nice to meet you. - All right.
- Hi. - Hi. Thank you for inviting me.
- Nice to meet you. - Where's Larry?
He said he needed some time in the Sanctum Sanctorum.
- Let's drink. - All right.
Hey.
What's the Sanctum Sanctorum?
It's a room where Larry goes to hang out.
Well, what kind of room?
I don't know.
Only the Sovereign Protector is allowed inside.
Oh, cool.
What's the Sovereign Protector?
OK.
So, if you come back, you'll be a postulant,
which is a probationary phase.
Then, if that goes well, we'll make you a squire,
and then you can attend meetings and run a tab at the bar.
Yeah.
So, how do I become a knight?
- Slow down. - OK.
No. Through valiant deeds and glittering scholarship.
Or ask Larry when he's had a few and he'll sign off.
- That's what most people do. - OK.
And people don't think less of you if you do that?
I do.
OK, well, I don't want to do it that way.
This is Gil Sandoval.
He's a legend at Orbis.
The last 20 years, he's probably inspected over a million holes.
Holes?
Riveted skin lap joints on the Jupiter fuselage.
So what are you gonna do now?
Who cares?
As long as I don't have to look at another skin lap joint.
Oh, and this is my band. We're playing the Throne Room next month.
Awesome. So you're Don Fab.
- No. I just play drums. - They're really good.
So, Dud...
I feel like I should tell you...
I'm with Long Beach Harbor Patrol,
and I've got the authority to do background checks
on anyone who wants to join the Lodge.
Really?
Oh, my God!
I think he might be hiding something.
Oh, no, I've never been arrested before,
but I think the sheriff's office might currently be looking for me.
Oh, my God.
It's all right. It's all right.
It's gonna be OK.
Here he comes.
- Hey. - Hey.
Larry, I want you to meet Sean Dudley.
- Hi. - Welcome!
Nice to meet you.
Tell us about yourself.
Well, I'm...
My name's... Dud.
I grew up around here.
Now I'm...
just sort of doing my thing, I guess.
So...
OK.
Well...
Glad you're here.
Ring the bells in ten, and we'll...
My dad owned a pool shop.
I worked there my whole life.
I used to do maintenance all over town.
It was... It was pretty great.
And then, last year,
I took a surf trip to Nicaragua...
and I got bit by a snake...
and I almost died.
And the wound, it never really healed right, so...
I can't really surf any more...
or really do any of the things that I used to do.
And then, about a month after I got back from my trip,
my dad went bodysurfing...
and he drowned.
And they never found his body.
So now it's just me and my sister.
She's my twin.
Later on, we found out that my dad...
he was going broke,
so the bank foreclosed on the house
and we had to liquidate the shop.
So we lost...
Well, we lost everything.
I guess you could say this year's been kind of a bum ride.
But then, a couple of days ago,
I was walking on the beach...
and I found a Lynx ring.
And I didn't know what it was, obviously.
But then, later in the day,
my car ran out of gas
right in front of the Lodge.
So it was...
it was fate.
And then, when Ernie invited me inside,
I was standing in the lobby and...
I don't know, I just...
just felt like I was meant to be here.
I feel like this place can help me.
So, that's...
I don't know how else to explain it.
You don't have to.
I think anyone who's here has felt...
a little something like that.
It's good to be reminded.
Yeah.
To Dud.
- Yes. - I'll drink to that.
- Damn it, Larry! - What the heck?
What the heck?
- Larry! - Are you all right?
Larry!
- Dial 911! - Larry!
Larry!
Deep breaths. Breathe!
Larry... why did you hit him?
Hit who?
It's all a forgery.
We are not the True Lodge.
Oh, God. What's going on?
Unbelievable.
Is Larry gonna be OK?
He survived the Tet Offensive,
he'll get through this.
I'm sorry about tonight.
I don't know what got into Larry.
I think he just got confused.
Hey.
It happens.
I almost forgot...
to give you my dues.
- Actually, the membership is... - Please, please.
Just give me a chance.
Hey.
You want to have a drink before I lock up?
Yeah.