Gradually he is stirred from his emotional detachment to try to assist her, a development that confuses, alarms, and angers his parasitic entourage: Margaret, his social climber fiancée; Max, the shady family lawyer (who for reasons never directly explained is desperate for Leo to marry Margaret); David, his quack doctor; and Laszlo, the household manager, and apparent leader of a secret society aiming to restore the dynasty. (Leo's sudden vitality also threatens Jasper the pimp who is, in fact, in league with Laszlo.)