THE PATRIOT

                         THE CHILDREN

          Aunt Charlotte!  Aunt Charlotte!

                         CHARLOTTE

          Welcome!  Welcome!  Margaret,

          William, look at you...!

                  (to Martin)

          They're huge.  What have you been

          feeding them?

                         MARTIN

          They're from good stock on their

          mother's side.

                         CHARLOTTE

          Thank you.  Come, come, inside, wait

          until you see what I have...

                         THE CHILDREN

                  (simultaneous; all

                   except Susan)

          Presents!  For me?  What do you

          have?

                         CHARLOTTE

          Inside, inside...

The children race through the door, forcing Martin and

Charlotte together.  They stand awkwardly, their bodies

close, as the children pass.  After the children go,

Martin and Charlotte stand for an extra instant, then turn

and see Susan standing, staring.

                         CHARLOTTE

          You, too, Susan.  There's something

          for you...

Martin and Charlotte watch Susan walk inside.

                         CHARLOTTE

          She still hasn't started talking?

Martin shakes his head.  They sigh and head inside

together.

EXT.  CHARLESTON SQUARE - NIGHT

CHAOS.  A yelling crowd of Sons of Liberty is massed

around a Liberty Tree from which hang dozens of glowing

lanterns.  GABRIEL walks through the crowd drinking it all

in, turning his head this way and that, seeing:

Drunk men.  Vendors selling rum, ale, food and banners

emblazoned with a coiled snake and the legend, "Don't

Tread On Me."  Scores of on-lookers, including respectable

people, as well as street urchins, whores and drunkards,

watch the proceedings.

Gabriel moves through the crowd, excited by the madness of

the scene, listening in to BITS OF CONVERSATION as he

goes.

Gabriel stops, noticing PETER HOWARD, a one-legged,

middle-aged man about Martin's age, standing with his

family on the edge of the crowd.  Howard's daughter, ANNE,

very attractive, around fifteen, stands a bit apart from

her parents.

Gabriel makes his way over and stands next to Anne.  They

exchange a look.  She turns back to watch the crowd.

Gabriel clears his throat and speaks with earnest, adult

politeness.

                         GABRIEL

          Miss Howard, isn't it?

She speaks without looking at him.

                         ANNE

          You know who I am, Gabriel Martin.

          The last time you saw me I was nine

          and you put ink in my tea.

Gabriel straightens up and speaks officiously, trying to

appear a man above such childish pranks.

                         GABRIEL

          I believe that was one of my younger

          brothers... perhaps Samuel or

          Nathan.

                         ANNE

          It was you and it turned my teeth

          black for a month.

                         GABRIEL

          I... uh...

The CROWD CHEERS AS several Sons of Liberty string up

effigies of King George III and Governor Wilmington.  As

they light the effigies on fire, Anne's father, notices

Anne talking to Gabriel.  He motions for her to join him

at his side.  Anne nods to Gabriel, taking her leave.

Gabriel watches her go.  With extreme effort, she keeps

herself from glancing back at him.  Gabriel turns his

attention back to the crowd.  Seeing a small knot of

affluent men gathered in conversation, Gabriel walks over

and stands just outside their circle, listening avidly.

EXT.  CHARLOTTE'S BALCONY - NIGHT

Martin, his children and Charlotte watch the mob in the

square below, The children are transfixed.  Martin is

troubled.  Charlotte looks closely at Martin, gauging his

expression.

                         THOMAS

          Look!  There's Gabriel!

They see Gabriel making his way through the crowd.  He

sees them and waves, then enters the house.  A moment

later Gabriel breathlessly steps onto the balcony.

                         GABRIEL

          It's coming...

                         THOMAS

          War?  War?

                         GABRIEL

          Harry Lee is here from Virginia

          recruiting for a Continental Army.

          He seeks a levy of troops and money.

          The Governor has vowed that if the

          Assembly votes a single shilling to

          Lee, he'll dissolve the body.

                         CHARLOTTE

          Which would force our delegates in

          Philadelphia to vote for

          independence.

                         MARTIN

          And send us to war alongside

          Massachusetts.

Gabriel nods enthusiastically.  Martin shoots him a

sidelong glance, troubled by the prospect.  Charlotte

notices.

IN THE SQUARE, a pair of drunk Sons of Liberty, pull down

one of the smoldering effigies, cut off its head, and

start hacking at it's groin with a sword.

Martin sees his younger children's expressions as they

watch.

                         MARTIN

          Inside, all of you, right now.

They start to protest but a look at their father's face

convinces them otherwise.  They file into the house.

Gabriel assumes the order doesn't apply to him but a stern

look from Martin sends him reluctantly inside, leaving

Charlotte and Martin alone on the balcony.

                         CHARLOTTE

          Lee will be counting on your vote.

          He'll expect you to be the first to

          enlist.

Martin looks down at the mob without responding.  The

flames of the burning effigies light his face.

EXT.  ASSEMBLY HALL - CHARLESTON - DAY

The capital building of South Carolina.  A large crowd of

lower-class men and women is massed in front of the

Assembly Hall.  As well-dressed Assemblymen walk into the

building, the CROWD YELLS words of encouragement to some

and berates others.

In the square in front of the Assembly Hall a squadron of

blue-uniformed AMERICAN CONTINENTAL SOLDIERS drills.  A

recruiting table is being set up by a Continental Captain

and several military clerks.

INT.  ASSEMBLY HALL - DAY

Two dozen ANGRY, YELLING, MEN OF PROPERTY.  Among them are

ROBINSON, HAMILL and JOHNSON, who are Patriots.  Opposed

to them are SIMMS, WITHINGTON and BALDRIDGE who are

Loyalists.  As Martin makes his way to his seat, the

SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY POUNDS HIS GAVEL.

                         SPEAKER

          ORDER!  ORDER!

Slowly, the room quiets down.

                         SPEAKER

          Our first order of business...

                         SIMMS

          And our last if we vote a levy...

The ROOM ERUPTS.

                         SPEAKER

          ORDER!  ORDER!  Mr. Simms, you do

          not have the floor.

The ROOM SETTLES DOWN.

                         SPEAKER

          Our first order of business is an

          address by Colonel Harry Lee of the

          Continental Army.

An imposing figure makes his way to the front of the

assembly, COLONEL HARRY LEE, about Martin's age and cut

from the same cloth -- strong, weathered, with a powerful

bearing.  Lee sees Martin and offers a familiar nod, which

Martin returns, stone-faced.  At the dais Lee pauses, then

speaks simply.