White Squall Page #6

He slams a text book into John's hands.

LAWFORD:

Read for me please the words of Mr.

Keats at the bottom of the page.

John stares back, simmering. Robin interrupts the

potential confrontation and reaches for the book.

ROBIN:

I'll read it. I mean I don't mind.

JOHN:

Shut up donut.

John pushes Robin's hands away and studies the page for a

moment. He begins reading but struggles with the cadence.

JOHN:

(reading)

Much have I traveled in realms of

gold/ And many goodly states and

kingdoms seen/ Round many western

islands have I been/ Which bards in

fealty to Apollo hold/ Oft of one

wide expanse had I been told/ That

deep-browed Homer ruled as his

demesne.

LAWFORD:

You know what he is talking about

here?

Blank faces.

LAWFORD:

(ranting)

Awe. Humility. He's telling you

that he has traveled the seas as

Homer did. As Ulysses had before

him as he tried to find his way home

to Ithaca after the Trojan Wars.

"That deep browed Homer"...

He points to his head.

LAWFORD:

Brilliant, seasoned, wise, of the

mind; "... ruled as his demesne."

He commands the voyage of the

imagination, like a god.

(pause)

That is what one of the greatest

literary minds of modern times, Mr.

Boutillier, has to say about Homer.

He snatches the book back.

LAWFORD:

You think the Odyssey is dull? I'll

tell you something, it's about each

one of you -- right now. Doubt and

expectation. Friendship, community,

self sacrifice and accountability.

He holds up the text.

LAWFORD:

This isn't just a story!! It's

history made allegory. It is a

philosophical handbook for life! It

holds the secret of this very

voyage.

JOHN:

What is it... the secret?

Lawford breaks into a huge belly laugh.

JOHN:

(confused)

What?

LAWFORD:

If it were only that simple, my

young friend. Read on, gentlemen.

Read on.

EXT. ALBATROSS - ESTABLISHING - DAY

Aerial shot. The Albatross is under full sail leaving

Bermuda for the last time.

OLDER CHUCK (V.O.)

And so it was the Albatross that

took to the open sea with the wind

in her snapping canvas and a bone of

white foam in her teeth... In each

of us were feelings of anticipation

and hesitation for the man at the

wheel and of the unfamiliar world he

was leading us into.

She crashes through the surf -- driving, majestic music,

building.

DECK - DAY

The crew hauls in the line, raising the mainsail. Chuck

struggles to coil the rope as fast as it is coming in.

ALOFT:

The crew take turns racing up the ratlines into the

rigging.

BOWSPRIT NET:

The crew pull down the jib trying to furl it. Most of the

sail ends up dragging in the water.

ABOVE:

The squaresails are dropped simultaneously.

WIDE:

White foam boils from the bow of the Albatross as she

crashes through the waves.

AT THE WHEEL:

Alice smiles and puts her arms around Skipper's waist.

It's coming together.

FORETOP - SAME

Skipper stands at the rail, looking out. The seas are up

and the masts are pitching widely from side to side.

Chuck is high above the deck in the footropes, wrestling

with one of the squaresails. The pitching mast catches

him by surprise and he slips. He tumbles down, tangled in

the lines. A rope wraps around his neck, choking him.

Robin looks up and sees him hanging helplessly.

ROBIN:

Bill!! Skipper!!

Robin freezes. Skipper leaps into the rigging like a

spider and, in a few seconds, wrestles Chuck free and

carries him down to the deck. Chuck coughs, catching his

breath. The color is gone from Skipper's face. This was

a close call.

SKIPPER:

You all right?

CHUCK:

It was my fault. I slipped.

Alice examines Chuck, making sure he's okay. Skipper

turns to Robin, who is shaken. He never raises his voice.

SKIPPER:

Why didn't you go up there?

Robin stands silently.

SKIPPER:

Speak up.

Still nothing from Robin.

CHARLIE:

He's afraid to climb.

SKIPPER:

What?

(to Robin)

Is that true?

Robin looks away.

SKIPPER:

Why wasn't I made aware of this

Bill?

BILL:

I didn't know sir.

SKIPPER:

It's your job to know. If something

goes wrong up there, the other

eighteen people aboard can't be

wondering if he's gonna do his job

or not.

Skipper returns his gaze to Robin, measuring him.

Finally.

SKIPPER:

Swing up, son.

ROBIN:

(trembling)

What?

SKIPPER:

Up you go. Right now.

Robin reluctantly pulls himself up onto the first rung,

then the second. He stops and steals a peek up. The mast

is swaying. He freezes, his lip starts to tremble. All

eyes are on him. Phil chuckles.

SKIPPER:

Do you have something to say?

PHIL:

(smug)

No.

SKIPPER:

Then keep your mouth shut.

Phil backs off, stunned. Robin can't move.

SKIPPER:

(to Robin)

What's it going to be?

ROBIN:

I'm sorry...

SKIPPER:

Sorry won't cut it.

Robin holds on frozen. Skipper turns to the crew.

SKIPPER:

Survival means discipline and

assimilation. There are no special

cases here.

(to Robin)

Now, get going. Get up there.

Humiliated, a tear slips down his face. Excruciating.

SKIPPER:

What are you blubbering about?

ROBIN:

I don't know...

Skipper jumps onto the backside of the ratlines. His face

is but inches from Robin's.

SKIPPER:

One hand in front of the other son.

We'll do it together.

Robin reaches for the next rung. He looks down. Skipper

growls at him.

SKIPPER:

Don't look down. Look in my eyes!

Climb! We'll do it together.

ROBIN:

(sobbing)

I can't.

SKIPPER:

You climb damn it, or so help me

I'll haul you to the foretop by your

diaper and leave you there!

ROBIN:

Aaauuuhhh!!!

Skipper gets right in his face and snarls.

SKIPPER:

Are you hating this?! Are you!

ROBIN:

I hate you, you son of a b*tch!!!

SKIPPER:

No. Hate the fear inside of you!

Climb like a man mister! Hate it!

Hate it away. Hate your way up one

more rung!! Do it right now!!

With every ounce of strength, Robin reaches for one more

rung screaming as he reaches. Skipper climbs and screams

with him.

TOGETHER:

Auuuggghhh!!!!

Robin clutches the rung with a death grip. Then, he looks

down. His bladder releases. Hot urine runs down his legs

and splashes, steaming, onto the deck. The crew is

horrified. Robin weeps.

ROBIN:

Oh, god...

Skipper backs off.

SKIPPER:

Don't hate yourself. Hate your

weakness. All right. Get down.

Robin climbs to the deck and falls in with the others,

mortified.

SKIPPER:

I'm only gonna say this one time.

I'm not here to wipe noses and

asses. I'm not your mother. Trust

funds and blue blazers don't get you

a thing out here. You wanna act

like babies, then get off my boat.

Stunned, the crew is speechless. Chuck instinctively goes

to help Robin. Skipper snaps like a turtle.

SKIPPER:

(to Chuck)

He can take care of himself.

(to others)

Any other 'phobias' I need to know

about?

Skipper fires a look towards Phil.

PHIL:

No, sir.

SKIPPER:

Excellent. Bill, find Mr. Weathers

a position to suit his condition.

Skipper turns and then stops.

SKIPPER:

Remember something, sooner or

later... we all have to face it.

CHUCK:

(aside)

Face what?

The question hangs in the air like a cloud.

INT. CHART HOUSE - DUSK

The chart house is the communication and navigation center

for the boat. It also serves as the officers dining room.

Skipper, Alice, Lawford, George, and Bill Butler sit

around the small table sipping coffee.

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