Lawrence McLaren, the Grand Dimaj of 429 IE was head of the Marilynist Temple at the time the Jefivan colony of Marilyn.
As a reward for giving the Temple its own homeworld, he named Douglas Best the Temple’s “Prophet” and used that position to secure Best’s release from jail. In return, Best would accompany the Grand Dimaj to The Caliphate to investigate JunoCorp, which facilitated disarming Marilyn before its conversion to a colony world.
The Grand Dimaj showed up at the funeral of Carolyn Best, fawning over her husband and parents, using his regnal name “Joseph.” Best, annoyed with the intrusion, dismissed him, calling him “Joe,” which amused Carolyn’s father.
In 432, Jayne Best went to him for protection after an assassination attempt on her husband. Jez Salamacis confronted him about her whereabouts, but McLaren ran her off when two bodyguards showed up. However, the bodyguards turned out to be Suicide and JT Austin in disguise. They abducted him. Through threats and intimidation, including political intimidation from Mitsuko Yamato, he revealed he had sent Jayne Best to Walton. McLaren resisted revealing this until Yamato invoked her relation to the King Yanuhito and his heir apparent, promising his refusal to cooperate would result in Bonaparte declaring Marilynism a cult. This would have a domino effect in the Compact. With Jayne’s whereabouts revealed, they cut him loose.
Appearances: The Marilynists, The Amortals, Suicide Run