The Patriot Page #4

LEE:

You said bribery twice...

Marion speaks slowly and firmly.

MARION:

We do not have to go to war to gain

independence.

Lee says nothing for a moment, then he speaks more

seriously, quietly, grimly.

LEE:

Francis, I was at Bunker Hill. It

was as bad as anything you and I saw

on the frontier. Worse than the

slaughter at the Ashuelot River.

The British advanced three times and

we killed over seven hundred of them

at point blank range. And still,

they advanced and they took the

ground. That is the measure of

their resolve. If your principles

dictate independence, then war is

the only way. It has come to that.

Marion is silent for a long moment. He softens, finds

himself unsteady and speaks far more honestly than he ever

wanted to.

MARION:

I have seven children. My wife is

dead. Who's to care for them if I

go to war?

Lee is stunned by Marion's honesty and his show of

weakness. At first Lee has no answer, then:

LEE:

Wars are not fought only by

childless men. A man must weigh his

personal responsibilities against

his principles.

MARION:

That's what I'm doing. I will not

fight and because I won't, I will

not cast a vote that will send

others to fight in my stead.

LEE:

And your principles?

MARION:

I'm a parent, I don't have the

luxury of principles.

The other Assemblymen, both Patriots and Loyalists, stare

at him, appalled. Marion, feeling weak, sits down. Lee

looks at his friend with more sympathy than

disappointment. Then Lee turns to Robinson who addresses

the chair.

ROBINSON:

Mister Speaker, I call for a vote on

a levy to the Continental Army.

HAMILL:

Second.

SPEAKER:

So moved.

The vote is taken on a roll call. Gabriel watches from

the gallery.

SPEAKER:

Mr. Robinson.

ROBINSON:

Yea.

SPEAKER:

Mr. Hamill.

HAMILL:

Yea.

SPEAKER:

Mr. Johnson.

JOHNSON:

Yea.

SPEAKER:

Mr. Simms.

SIMMS:

Nay.

SPEAKER:

Mr. Marion.

No response.

SPEAKER:

Mr. Marion.

MARION:

Nay.

In the gallery Gabriel turns and walks out. The roll call

continues. Marion sits, eyes straight ahead.

EXT. ASSEMBLY HALL - DAY

The crowd waits. The doors open and a PAGE BOY dashes out

and runs to the Continental Captain at the recruiting

table.

PAGE BOY:

Twenty-eight to twelve, the levy

passed!

The Continental Captain motions to an assembled squadron.

They raise their muskets and FIRE A VOLLEY into the air.

Other soldiers, STRIKE UP A MARTIAL AIR ON FIFES AND

DRUMS. Volunteers crowd around the recruiting table,

YELLING and jostling for position.

The delegates walk out. Both Patriots and Loyalists give

Marion a wide berth.

Marion sees Gabriel, standing near the crowd at the

recruiting table. Marion walks up to him.

GABRIEL:

Father, I've lost respect for you.

I thought you were a man of

principle.

MARION:

When you have children, I hope

you'll understand.

GABRIEL:

When I have children, I hope I don't

hide behind them.

Marion looks closely at Gabriel.

MARION:

Do you intend to enlist without my

permission?

GABRIEL:

Yes.

They lock eyes for a moment, then Gabriel turns from his

father and walks away, joining the crush around the

recruiting table.

Marion stands alone in the middle of the chaos. The FIFES

AND DRUMS continue to play. Marion doesn't hear them.

Harry Lee walks out of the Assembly hall with a triumphant

group of Patriots who look at Marion coldly.

Lee excuses himself, and steps over next to Marion. Lee

sees that Marion is watching Gabriel at the enlistment

table.

LEE:

One of yours?

MARION:

Gabriel.

LEE:

I recognize him now. Is he as

imprudent as his father was at his

age?

MARION:

No, thank the Lord. He's more like

his mother.

LEE:

I'll see to it that he serves under

me.

MARION:

Thank you.

They shake hands. Then Lee walks over to the soldiers.

Marion takes a last look at Gabriel, then heads off

through the crowded square, moving against the tide of men

headed toward the recruiting table.

EXT. POND BLUFF - DAY

Springtime. The apple tree at the top of the hill is

covered with blossoms.

SUPERIMPOSITION:

"TWO YEARS LATER"

EXT. FIELD - POND BLUFF - DAY

Marion plows a field. Nathan leads the plowhorse. Samuel

follows, breaking up the clods of dirt. Hard work. They

stop to catch their breath. A SOFT WIND blows.

Marion turns his head as if listening for a faint voice.

He hears nothing. He snaps the reins and continues

plowing.

INT. MARION'S ATTIC - LATE AFTERNOON

Dark. Thomas steps up into the attic. He finds a trunk

and opens it. Lifting out some blankets, he uncovers a

trove of Marion's old military gear -- a worn battle coat,

a box of medals, a military sword, rusted into its

scabbard.

Thomas puts on the coat, which hangs off his narrow

shoulders. He stands in front of a dusty mirror,

appraising himself, then stops as he hears FOOTSTEPS

coming up the stairs.

It's Marion, tired and dirty from his plowing. Thomas

grimaces, expecting him to be angry, but sees him shake

his head gently.

MARION:

Not yet, Thomas.

THOMAS:

When?

Marion looks closely at his son, giving him the courtesy

of really thinking about the answer.

MARION:

Seventeen.

THOMAS:

But it's already been two years and

that's two more years. The war

could be over by then.

MARION:

God willing.

Thomas considers it, then nods.

THOMAS:

Alright. Seventeen.

Marion offers his hand. They shake firmly, like adults.

Marion takes the coat off Thomas and puts it back in the

trunk. They walk down the stairs together.

INT. POND BLUFF - DAWN

All is quiet. A dawn mist hovers close over the ground.

Some sparrows feed at the base of the apple tree near the

gravesite. DISTANT THUNDER. Low and rolling. The birds

stop feeding, uneasy, then fly away.

INT. MARION'S BEDROOM - DAWN

At another roll of the DISTANT THUNDER Marion awakes. He

gets out of bed and pulls on his clothes.

EXT. FRONT PORCH - MARION'S HOUSE - DAWN

Marion steps out to his front porch and listens. He knows

the sound, the DISTANT STACCATO BOOMS OF CANNON and the

PATTERING WAVE OF THOUSANDS OF MUSKETS FIRING.

One by one the children join him. Thomas, Nathan and

Samuel listen analytically. Margaret and Susan press

close against their father. William looks curiously at

the cloudless sky.

WILLIAM:

Is it going to rain?

THOMAS:

That's not thunder.

The SOUND BECOMES DEEPER, MORE OMINOUS. They all notice

the change.

NATHAN:

Father?

MARION:

Six-pounders. Lots of them.

MARGARET:

How far away?

MARION:

Four, five miles.

SAMUEL:

Waxhaus?

MARION:

Just east of it.

MARGARET:

Are we safe here?

Marion puts on a smile.

MARION:

Don't worry.

MARGARET:

We could go stay at Aunt Charlotte's

farm. She's to the west.

MARION:

No, there'll be skirmishers on the

roads. We're safer here.

Thomas appears at the doorway with a pair of muskets. He

gives one to Nathan and offers the other to his father.

MARION:

Put those away.

THOMAS:

But father, they might come this

way.

MARION:

Put them away.

Reluctantly, Thomas takes the muskets back into the house.

MARION:

Enough. I'll be in the workshop.

Samuel, the cows. Thomas, attend to

your studies here on the porch.

Nathan, on the back porch. If you

see anyone, come get me. Margaret,

please keep William close to you.

No one is to go past the yard wall.

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