Reap the Wild Wind Page #2

- I'll be here just as long as you need me.

I hope that'll be a long time.

Bringing the man in

here, that's charity.

But bringing the ape, that's obnoxious.

JACK:
Fifty percent? Why, that's piracy.

KING:
It's legal. Your mate signed it.

The Jubilee was 15 months at sea.

You salvaged her cargo in

a few hours and want 50%.

And get it. If your owners

break you, come to me.

I'll show you how to own

your own ship in a year.

Yes, and hang him, too.

I brung your duffel.

Where would your cargos be if

it weren't for me and my ships?

- Maybe still afloat.

- What do you mean, you little cultch?

PHIL:
I'll bust you in... LOXI: No.

The door's over there, Mr. Cutler.

And it's open.

- You're not a good loser, Miss Loxi.

- Not to you, Mr. Cutler.

Here, drink this.

If your owners do break you,

Capt. Stuart, look me up.

Smoking in the house.

Now go on, drink it.

I sworn to man, that feller

would sink his own grandmother...

to salvage the gold in her teeth.

You're not saying he pushed that

reef in front of my ship, are you?

No. I'm saying he's a bad Yankee.

I'm a good one.

Where'd you get that mate, Widgeon?

JACK:
We took him on

in Havana. PHIL:
I see.

If I thought that wreck was planned...

I'd make a topsail out of Cutler's hide.

You hark to me, sonny. The 10

years I've been at Key West...

sailing master for the Claiborne

family, I have seen them go broke...

flatter than the shadow of a clam.

Same as all the other

honest salvage masters.

Run out by thieves and cutthroats,

and that shark Cutler's their boss.

No more bilge talk. Now, you

up anchor and let him rest.

What you need is some nourishment.

Smells like burning hair.

[Screams]

[Chattering]

MAUM MARIA:
You fold that right back!

[Monkey laughing]

Yes, quite a lady's man, ain't he?

I'm afraid Bananas is

only used to forecastles.

Is this your room?

Yes. Does it bother you

being in a lady's bedroom?

Drusilla's in the guest room.

Bother me? Took me a long time

to be sure I wasn't in heaven.

She ain't no angel. Here.

Come down from there.

[Groans]

- How many sugars?

- Three.

I feel like a hulk, putting

you to so much trouble.

Shucks.

You stop looking at

me and eat your dinner.

I was just remembering

where I saw you before.

- Under a southwester?

- No.

You sort of came out of that storm

like one of Mother Carey's chickens...

only, you were good luck for me.

MRS. CLAIBORNE:
Loxi! MAUM

MARIA:
Your mama's calling.

Maum Maria, see he cleans his

plate. I'll be back soon as I can.

You got no call to hurry.

He ain't going nowhere.

[Bananas chattering]

Scat! I'm feeding this one.

[Clock chiming]

He's mighty handsome, Cousin Loxi.

A man like that would rather

lose his life than his ship.

Why do you all hate Mr. Cutler so?

LOXI:
Because he needs hanging

a little. DRUSILLA: Cousin Loxi?

- His brother's different, isn't he?

- Different front name, that's all.

What are you studying

about Dan Cutler for?

I'm not. Really, I'm not.

I thought girls raised in Havana

never even looked at men...

till they were married to them.

MRS. CLAIBORNE:
Drusilla, is Loxi

there? LOXI:
I'm coming, Mummy.

DRUSILLA:
I'll be up in a minute.

[Suspenseful instrumental music]

Dan!

What do you want?

[Romantic instrumental music]

Hello, you lovely little carrot-top.

Dan, I was so afraid.

I'm afraid every time

I take you in my arms.

Why?

DAN:
Because I want to

crush the life out of you.

When I'm in your arms, I don't

care what they say about you.

I'll love you always, Dan. Always.

ALL:
[Singing] Going to

iay down this heavy ioad

By and by By and by

Going to iay down this heavy ioad

By and by By and by

MAN:
[Singing] Time will

come when my troubies are gone

No more toting these sacks of corn

- You left your spyglass at our house.

- Loxi.

[Slow instrumental music]

I was coming over to

thank your mother for...

Mother's making a heap

of to-do about you and me.

They're planning to ship me

off to visit Aunt Henrietta.

I got my orders, too. I

sail tonight on the Arcturus.

A month at sea and then Charleston.

- Charleston?

- For a showdown with Steve Tolliver.

You'll be in Charleston? Why,

that's where Aunt Henrietta...

LOXI:
Oh...

LOXI:
Who's Steve Tolliver?

He drips lace, and leads

the Charleston quadrilles.

[Chuckling] What?

He's sea lawyer for

Devereaux and Company.

He loves me about as much as

the devil loves holy water.

- But he doesn't sound very dangerous.

- He wouldn't be...

except he holds the power of

influence with old Commodore Devereaux.

But Commodore Devereaux's

fair and square.

He's fair and square, but old.

If you keep doing that, I'm

going to fall right into them.

Trying to frighten me?

You know, Loxi, there's only

three things I want out of life.

One is to command the

Southern Cross, a steam.

- Steam.

- Don't turn up your pretty nose at steam.

It's the future of the seas...

when calms and gales and

fog won't mean a thing.

And with the Southern Cross under

me, I'd get my second wish...

because the man who commands in steam...

will be the head of

Devereaux and Company someday.

Will you have to wear

a stovepipe hat, Jack?

Steve Tolliver looks all right in one.

He means to be head

of the company himself.

I was the one man in his way.

Now that I've lost the Jubilee...

he'll crack down with

everything he's got to break me.

Break you? That's a man-size job.

I promise you, he won't do it.

I've found something in

these Keys worth fighting for.

Nights on watch, I'll

see you like this, Loxi...

with your hair catching

fire in the sunset...

and that look in your

eyes 10 fathoms deep.

What was the third

thing you wanted, Jack?

Think I'm going to say "you," don't you?

- Aren't you?

- Yes.

You're in my blood, Loxi, same as

the sea. I'm coming back for you.

You won't have to come back. I'll

be waiting for you in Charleston.

They're not going to break you...

and you're gonna have

the Southern Cross.

- You're starting to tell my future?

- It's our future, Jack.

[Peppy instrumental music]

Of course, Commodore Devereaux, you

need a mighty experienced captain...

to navigate a fine ship like the

Southern Cross, steam and all that.

That ain't got no elegance.

You are in Charleston.

Ladies don't tell

gentlemen. They ask them.

It was really you I came up

to see, Commodore Devereaux.

All the way from Key West.

There's Mrs. Mottram's house. Aunt

Henrietta's waiting on the porch.

- Button that mitten.

- Do you suppose it'll work?

Do you suppose he'll

listen about Capt. Jack?

Of course, child.

Only just don't leave your right hand

know what your left feet is doing.

[Singing] 'Twill bring me back

one goiden hour

Through many

Through many a weary year

I may not

to the worid impart

A taie of me and you apart

- Elizabeth.

- Henrietta, this is mighty pleasant.

This is my little niece

Loxi from Key West.

- This is her cousin Drusilla.

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