White Squall Page #6

Lawford booms in a voice that echoes across the harbor.

LAWFORD:

"Down, down beneath the deep, That

oft in triumph bore him, He sleeps a

sound and peaceful sleep, With the

salt waves dashing over him." --

Lord Byron gentlemen.

With that Bill leaps and hits the water with a huge

KERSPLASH! He swims to the boarding ladder, pulls himself

up and gets in John's face.

BILL:

Everybody swims. Now, I've been in

twice. So I guess I'll be eating

your breakfast too.

John considers him, then strips off his shirt. But

instead of walking over to the gunnel door, he jumps into

the ratlines, climbs to the foretop and looks down.

He manages a thin smile then climbs to the second set of

ratlines past the third yard and continues to the top yard

arm -- the topgallant. It's a pissing contest and

everybody knows it.

MIKE:

I got five bucks says he doesn't.

CHRIS:

I got five that says he doesn't

live.

TOD:

I'll take a dollar of that.

ROBIN:

This is crazy!

Robin refuses to watch. The others share a look.

John makes his way along the foot ropes and stands at the

end of the yard. He tosses a look towards Bill but with

no way to back down, he launches into the air. Everyone

gasps as he thunders through the air in a broad swan dive.

Falling, falling, falling...

CHUCK:

Jesus.

ROBIN:

I can't watch this.

John hits the water like a bullet. The crew run to the

side waiting for him to come up. Nothing. Finally, he

breaks the surface. Easy. He climbs up waiting, somehow,

to claim victory.

Suddenly, they all feel it. A presence. He has appeared

silently on top of the Chart House, like a phantom gazing

down at them, back lit by the sun the boys must squint to

see him.

RICHARD SHELDRAKE, (SKIPPER), ageless and windswept,

casually reaches up to a block and tackle with one arm and

glides to the deck. He is powerfully built and bronzed

from the sea and sun. He carriers the burden of command

like a cross. Soft-spoken and remote, he is a man to be

reckoned with. The crew know they are in the presence of

someone larger than life.

BILL:

Skipper on deck!

The crew line up clumsily. Skipper has a gaze that blazes

right through them.

He looks out to sea. Searching, ominous. He waits until

the silence is filled with everyone's attention.

SKIPPER:

You know what's out there? Wind and

wave and rain. Endless glassy pools

that'll hold a sailing ship for

weeks and then spit her out into the

eye of the kind of hurricane. A

blow that could knock the bridge off

a battleship. Reefs and rocks and

sandbars that'll tear the belly from

her and enough fog and night to hide

it all.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes