White Squall Page #16

BILL:

What's wrong?

EXT. DECK - DAY

A small launch filled with Cuban soldiers approaches the

Albatross. The crew climb on deck and line up along the

Chart House with their passports. Lawford walks up to

Skipper.

LAWFORD:

We've got a problem.

SKIPPER:

What's that?

LAWFORD:

Terry left his passport in Curacao.

We could hide him...

SKIPPER:

No. Bring him on deck with the

others.

The Cubans cast their lines up and climb aboard carrying

side arms. Terry reluctantly joins his crew mates. The

COMMANDING OFFICER faces Skipper as his men go down the

line checking the passports. Others search the ship.

COMMANDER:

Chicken is a fool's game captain.

SKIPPER:

So is violating international law.

COMMANDER:

But you invited is aboard.

SKIPPER:

Your cannons made a compelling

argument.

One of the Cubans pulls Terry out of line and brings him

forward. He alerts the Commander in Spanish.

COMMANDER:

Stow away?

SKIPPER:

He left his passport in Curacao.

It's being mailed to Panama.

COMMANDER:

That is unfortunate. We'll have to

take him with us.

Terry is petrified.

LAWFORD:

If he's a Cuban, Castro wears a

dress.

SKIPPER:

Nobody aboard my ship is going

anywhere.

Skipper stares him down. The Commander signals to one of

his men who disappears into the Chart House.

COMMANDER:

Perhaps in appreciation for our

country's pursuit of peace, you

might offer us some, token of

gratitude.

Skipper doesn't really have a choice.

SKIPPER:

What do you want?

The Cuban returns from the Chart House with the Ships

sextant and hands it to the Commander.

COMMANDER:

This. And...

Pointing to the ships compass.

COMMANDER:

... and that.

GEORGE:

You've got to be kidding!!

SKIPPER:

(cold)

Take it.

Without hesitation the Cubans pull the large brass compass

from its base.

SKIPPER:

Now, get the hell off my ship.

As they leave the ship, they pause. The Commander looks

back at the Skipper, then deliberately drops both sextant

and compass into the sea.

COMMANDER:

You'll really have something to

teach your students now.

Skipper stands towering above them. The Cuban captain

smiles up at him. Amazingly, Skipper addresses him in

perfect Spanish.

SKIPPER:

Las estrellas es lo unico, que un

marinero verdadero se mesesita para

encontrarse. Verdade Patron?

The Cubans stare back, frowning, amazed as they motor

away.

The crew are stunned by what they have just witnessed.

Skipper turns and meets the eyes of admiration, humility

and complete respect. He joins Alice at the helm. They

linger for a moment.

CHUCK:

What'd he say?

George smiles, impressed as well.

GEORGE:

He told them real sailors need only

the stars.

With a new attitude, they turn to Skipper.

SKIPPER:

Alright then, let's get outta here.

The crew bolt to there positions.

OLDER CHUCK (V.O.)

With staff and string he showed us

how to build a sextant. As we rode

the trades, he shared the ancient

secrets of how to read the waves and

follow stars. And some mornings

later, bathed in the orange glow of

a sunrise, Panama rose from the sea

like a phoenix.

EXT. ALBATROSS - PANAMA CANAL - DAY

Panama appears on the horizon. The Albatross is dwarfed

by the huge freighters moored around her, as she moves

through the locks. The crew stand on deck in quiet

reverence.

INT. MAIN CABIN - NIGHT

The sounds of slumber fill the cabin. All seems well with

the world. Suddenly, silhouettes in the darkness. A huge

bearded figure stands in the center of the cabin with a

trident in his hand.

Chuck wakes with a start. He bolts upright to see the

horrible figure of NEPTUNE himself (Lawford) towering

before him. He tries to scream, but hands cover his

mouth. He is dragged, struggling, up the companionway.

EXT. DECK - NIGHT

The Albatross has been transformed into a ghost ship.

Where the sails once were, only shredded fabric. All of

the crew have been brought on deck. Powdered faces glow,

surreal.

John's head has been shaved into a mohawk. Robin, Rick

and Chris have been reduced to crew cuts. The shears

start over Chuck's head. Neptune and his sidekick, DAVEY

JONES (George) and two MERMAIDS (Bill and Alice) emerge

with the rest of the crew.

NEPTUNE:

Hold fast that polliwog and make him

presentable.

Chuck struggles as his hair is shaved away and face

powdered.

NEPTUNE:

Let it be known that on this day in

the year nineteen hundred and sixty-

one there appeared within the limits

of my royal kingdom, the sailing

ship brigantine Albatross, bound for

Galapagos. All vessels that sail my

domain shall be subject to the

scrutiny of the underworld...

Terry is brought topside kicking and screaming.

NEPTUNE:

Silence!!!

Terry shuts up and succumbs to the same fate as the rest.

NEPTUNE:

Tonight you shall all enter the

Order of the Shellbacks. Only when

you have been duly initiated shall

you enjoy the mysteries and

protection of the trident. So, let

the festivities begin...

EXT. HELM - NIGHT

Neptune and his court sit smoking Havana cigars as each

member of the crew present themselves. Robin dressed like

a pig and crawls around snorting.

John's an Indian brave, whooping and hollering as he does

a rain dance. Chuck, with flippers on his hands and feet,

hops around like a frog. Rick is in 'drag' as Neptune's

girlfriend and must sing everything he says. Charlie is

dressed like a sloth and slithers along the deck.

Frenetic chaos.

EXT. DECK - LATER

Neptune and his court lead a procession around the

perimeter of the deck. The crew follows. They stamp

their feet and chant.

ALL:

Hell is to drift, heaven to steer!

Hell is to drift, heaven to steer!!

Hell is to drift, heaven to steer!!

They move faster and faster around the boat. They shout

louder and louder, faster and faster until they have all

worked themselves into a frenzy.

EXT. BOW - DAWN

Davey Jones, holds a large turtle shell over the crews

heads. As each one passes before him he pours blood from

the turtle shell onto their heads. It runs down,

streaking their floured faces and necks. As the ritual

progresses, Neptune speaks.

NEPTUNE:

By virtue of the power inherited by

me, I do hereby command all of my

subjects, such as mermaids, sea

serpents, dolphins, whales, sharks

and turtles, from eating, playing

with, or otherwise molesting this

vessel or her crew. Let it be

remembered that on this, my

Equatorial Domain on Longitude 88'

20' 13" on this 532nd in the year of

the dolphin, you entered the Order

of the Shellbacks!!

The crew cheer and embrace. Skipper calls from the wheel.

SKIPPER:

Land ho!

EXT. GALAPAGOS ISLANDS - DAY

The crew stop their celebrating and gather at the port

bow. Ahead, glowing orange with the dawn, the islands of

Galapagos. It's desolate landscape of silent volcanoes

and ancient lava flows that spill into the sea.

The faces of the boys, still streaked with the indignities

of the night's ordeal, stand silently before their final

destination.

OLDER CHUCK (V.O.)

We had journeyed over six thousand

miles to the very edge of the earth.

Like Darwin before us, we would

witness the bliss of nature in the

absence of man. And it was as if

the Albatross had forded time,

leaving it behind. In the heat of

those equatorial days, on the virgin

onyx beaches and shifting coral

dunes, one could expect to find

sunning iguanas, nesting frigates

and perchance... the footprints of

God.

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