White Squall Page #9

TERRY:

Get me out!!! Get me out!!!

MIKE:

Oh my god!! It's a...

SKIPPER:

(calmly)

Shark.

(to Robin)

Don't lose it son.

George grabs a gaffing hook while Robin fights the rod,

trying to bring in the big fish.

GEORGE:

Keep it coming.

Robin battles the fish. George clumsily tries to help.

The crew make their way to the rear to watch.

CHARLIE:

Whoops.

Charlie and Rick and the others heave to get Terry up.

Finally he makes it. Sprawling onto the deck.

TERRY:

Oh Jesus! Oh Jesus Christ!!

The crew turn and cheer Robin on as he brings the shark

alongside.

GEORGE:

He must be two hundred pounds!

Bring him in close and try to hold

him steady.

George leans out over the rail, trying to get the hook

into a gill. Several of the boys hold onto him as the

fish flops around violently.

GEORGE:

Got him!

Skipper comes down to inspect the catch. The shark is

longer than Terry is tall and thrashes in the the water,

snapping and twisting. Terry stands shaking, freaked.

All of them are.

RICK:

Damn Terr, you're whiter than Sister

Mary Anne's butt.

The guys laugh nervously. Terry just stares at the man

eater, but it's infectious. After a moment he's laughing

too. Skipper slaps him on the back with a wry smile.

SKIPPER:

Well, now you have something to

write home about.

More laughter. Suddenly, Tom, who is lookout on the

foretop, cries out.

TOM:

Land ho!!! Land ho!!!

Everyone turns around to look. The guys at the stern let

go of George and he nearly tumbles overboard. In that

instant, the shark slips off of the gaff, and disappears

back into the sea. Robin and George share a stunned look.

GEORGE:

Sh*t.

ROBIN:

There's more where that came from.

Skipper returns to the wheelhouse with Alice. Together

they scan the horizon. Clouds build over the land ahead.

ALICE:

Cheated death again.

He slips an arm around her.

SKIPPER:

Yep.

EXT. ANTIGUA - HARBOR - DAY

A group of islanders have assembled to watch the crew

approach in the long boats.

INT. LONG BOAT - SAME

Chuck gazes across the strange landscape. As the boats

dock, the crew pile out and scatter. Local children

follow them wherever they go. Chuck, Robin and John find

themselves alone. Most of the buildings are primitive.

They wander over to a shop.

ROBIN:

What do you say? Cokes? I'm

buying.

CHUCK & JOHN

Sure.

EXT. SHOP

Chuck and Robin reappear, sipping cold Cokes. Mike and

Chris walk by across the street. Robin speaks up loud

enough for them to hear.

ROBIN:

You're right Chuck. There's nothing

quite as refreshing as a cold ten

cent Coke that only costs ten cents!

The three clink their bottles. Mike and Chris slink away.

EXT. COLONIAL FORT - DAY

A crumbling fort overlooks the harbor. Below, the

Albatross floats like a pearl on the azure blue water.

Large bronze muzzle-loading cannons still lie in their

gunports, aimed at the sea, waiting for pirate ships that

will never come.

Each of the guys are sprawled on a cannon, taking in the

Caribbean view.

ROBIN:

You think Skipper and Alice do it?

CHUCK:

Do what?

ROBIN:

Ya know... "It".

CHUCK:

That's like wondering if your mom

and dad do it. Who wants to know?

JOHN:

She isn't that old.

CHUCK:

What do you mean?

JOHN:

I mean she looks pretty damn good in

her all-together for being thirty.

ROBIN:

How would you know?

JOHN:

Trust me donut. I know.

ROBIN:

What? Come on...

JOHN:

On the dog watch, night after the

storm, I look down into the skylight

above Skipper's cabin and there she

was, peelin' down.

CHUCK:

No way!

ROBIN:

Come on man, what'd they look like?

JOHN:

Damn, Porkchop, you sound just like

a guy who ain't never seen a pair.

ROBIN:

I've seen 'em. I've seen 'em.

They crack up.

CHUCK:

I walked in on my parents one time.

It was only like eight o'clock and

they were in bed and I thought that

was kinda weird so I just walked in.

JOHN:

That's what they get for not locking

the door.

CHUCK:

So I'm standing there and you could

hear a pin drop. No breathing or

snoring... Suddenly it hits me that

somethin' was goin' on that just

stopped, really fast, like people

are holding their breath.

ROBIN:

So... What happened?

CHUCK:

My mother says in this really low,

but very awake kind of voice "What?"

John and Robin crack up.

ROBIN:

What'd you do?

CHUCK:

I said "Sorry, wrong room" and

walked away.

JOHN:

Did you shut the door at least?

They bust up again. Chuck glares back.

CHUCK:

I don't remember.

Robin sits up on his cannon and looks out, suddenly

melancholy.

ROBIN:

My parents don't do it anymore.

CHUCK:

How do you know? They might.

ROBIN:

'Cause they're getting a divorce.

(beat)

That's why they sent me here. My

sister's at Tabor. They just wanted

us out of the house so they could

get down to business.

JOHN:

They tell you that?

ROBIN:

I figured it out.

CHUCK:

Yeah.

JOHN:

My old man split along time ago. It

doesn't mean anything. You just

take care of number one that's all

that matters.

ROBIN:

It matters to me.

JOHN:

(kindly)

Okay donut. Whatever you say.

CHUCK:

We better get back.

Robin looks up to John.

ROBIN:

Did you really see 'em.

EXT. ALBATROSS - HARBOR - NIGHT

The boat moves off leaving the lights of Antigua behind.

Chuck watches as the island disappears below the horizon.

EXT. DECK - DAY

The wind is up and the seas are high. The ship is under

full sail driving at top speed. Foam sprays from the bow

as it slices through the water -- what she was born to do.

The crew line the starboard rail, thrilled to be part of

the performance.

Tod is at the wheel with Chris nearby. The sails tower

above him like a mountain of silk. He wrestles the wheel,

careful to hold his course against the powerful trade

winds.

Skipper, making his rounds inspects the heading on the

compass and nods.

SKIPPER:

It's a good sail boys.

Tod and Chris beam. Compliments are rare from this man.

TOD:

Thank you, sir. Shall we trim the

main Skipper? I think we could get

another knot or two.

Skipper turns and looks at Tod, a twinkle in his eye.

SKIPPER:

As you like.

Gravy. The two gloat as they lighten the mainsheet

tackle. Phil joins them.

PHIL:

What do you say I have a crack at

the wheel?

TOD:

I'd say, f*** off junior.

They laugh. Phil slinks behind the chart house, hurt, and

angry. He spots a spear gun stowed against the chart

house.

As Tod and Chris pull in the main, it strains and

stretches against the powerful wind.

Phil aims the spear gun at the mainsail from behind the

chart house and silently fires. There is a wicked POP as

the spear punctures the sail, passing through it, followed

by a loud shredding as the huge sail splits.

TOD:

Jesus Christ!! Let it out. Let it

out!!

The sound brings Skipper onto the deck like a shot.

SKIPPER:

Hard to port! Hard to port!!

Calamity, as Tod cranks the ship into the wind. The

canvas goes limp as the ship hauls to a dead stop. People

dive everywhere to drop sail.

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