NAPOLEON

They are too frightened to be amused.

MONGE

Are we doing well, General

Bonaparte?

NAPOLEON

We are doing very well, my dear

Monge. The mameluke cavalry are

brave but they are selling their

lives at a bad price -- at a rate, I

should say, of 50-1. My only fear

is that Murad Bey has some means of

communicating with his men, and that

he will manage to call them off

before we can kill a great many

more.

The artist, Denon, one of the stronger souls among the

group, has been busy making sketches of the fighting.

Napoleon rides over to him and looks down at the drawing.

NAPOLEON

Those are excellent sketches, Denon.

May I have them when you are

finished?

INT. MANSION MURAD BEY - NIGHT

The captured mansion of Murad Bey, leader of the

mamelukes. French-Arabian orgy -- quiet, cool, soft

music, occasional male voice, low female laugh; Murat,

Marmont, Berthier, Monge. Not Napoleon.

INT. NAPOLEON'S OFFICE IN MURAD BEY MANSION - NIGHT

But Napoleon is at work. He has taken over a large room,

grouped several tables into an L-shape, and has made it

into an office. He is seated before the usual 2-foot-high

stack of dispatches, letters, memorandums and reports,

which follow him everywhere. We hear the continuation of

the music from the previous scene. Napoleon, in an angry

and irritable mood, is dictating to Bourrienne.

NAPOLEON

(dictating)

Must you, too, take this opportunity

during my absence to indulge the

petty jealousies of the Bonaparte

family? Must you...

There is a knock at the door.

NAPOLEON

Come in!

Junot enters, extremely drunk.

JUNOT

I believe you sent for me.

NAPOLEON

Yes, yes, please sit down. I will

be with you in a moment.

Junot staggers over to a couch and sits down heavily.

Napoleon's glance lingers disapprovingly.

NAPOLEON

(to Bourrienne)

Read it back.

BOURRIENNE

To Joseph Bonaparte -- Dear Joseph,

I have been informed by my wife of

the cold and spiteful treatment she

has been receiving at the hands of

my family, since my departure. I am

also informed that you have refused

to pay over to her any of the money

I left with you expressly for this

purpose. Must you, too, take this

opportunity during my absence to

indulge the petty jealousies of the

Bonaparte family?

NAPOLEON

(quietly)

Oh, shit, that's not right.

He runs his hand through his hair.

NAPOLEON

Leave us alone, Bourrienne, and come

back in half an hour.

Bourrienne exits.

NAPOLEON

God damn it, Junot, wouldn't you

think I have enough things on my

mind not to waste time on a letter

like this to Joseph?

JUNOT

(staring at his

boots)

There's probably some explanation.

NAPOLEON

Yes, I'm sure he's been too busy

chasing his whores to be bothered

about my wife.

Junot sits, breathing loudly.

NAPOLEON

Well, anyway, sorry to call you away

from the festivities, but where is

the breakdown on serviceable

vehicles? I asked for it yesterday.

JUNOT

(speech affected by

drink)

I gave it to Berthier... this

afternoon.

NAPOLEON

Why did you give it to him?

JUNOT

I thought he would be seeing you

before I would, and would give it to

you.

NAPOLEON

Well, he didn't give it to me, and

when I ask you to do something for

me, return the work to me, not to

Berthier.

JUNOT

I'm sorry, I thought he would give

it to you.

NAPOLEON

I must have the breakdown now.

Where is Berthier?

JUNOT

He's downstairs -- somewhere.

NAPOLEON

All right, thank you. Please ask

him to come here.

Junot pauses and then speaks with exaggerated importance

and earnestness brought on by too much drink.

JUNOT

Yes... but, first, can I say

something to you, as a friend?

NAPOLEON

Certainly.

JUNOT

I know that I shouldn't butt into

things... that are really no

concern of mine... but you shouldn't

write a letter like that to Joseph.

NAPOLEON

Why not?

JUNOT

Well, maybe he's only looking out

for your best interests.

NAPOLEON

What are you talking about?

JUNOT

Nothing. That's all I can say.

NAPOLEON

That's all you can say? What are

you talking about?

JUNOT

That's all I can say.

NAPOLEON

Now, just a minute. You have just

very clearly implied that there is a

reason why Joseph should not give my

wife the money which I left for her.

I can't possibly allow a remark like

that to go without explanation.

JUNOT

Let's just say, he looks after your

interests.

Napoleon takes Junot by the shoulders.

NAPOLEON

Look, Junot, you aren't going to

leave this room until you explain

yourself.

JUNOT

There are some things... better left

unsaid.

NAPOLEON

You mean about my wife?! You mean

there are some things better left

unsaid about Josephine?!

Suddenly, Junot buries his head in his hands.

NAPOLEON

What the hell is the matter with

you?

JUNOT

(mumbling into his

hands)

I didn't want to hurt you... All I

wanted to do was to keep from

hurting you. I swear I didn't want

to hurt you.

NAPOLEON

Well, whatever the hell you wanted

to do, you are going to tell me

everything right now. Do you

understand?!

JUNOT

(pulling himself

together)

You know that... letter you showed

me in Milan -- the one about

Hippolyte Charles?

NAPOLEON

Yes.

JUNOT

I wrote it.

NAPOLEON

What?

JUNOT

Yes, I wrote it.

NAPOLEON

You wrote it.

JUNOT

I couldn't face telling you.

NAPOLEON

You couldn't face telling me what?

JUNOT

About Hippolyte Charles.

NAPOLEON

What was there to tell?

JUNOT

My God, what do you think?

NAPOLEON

Do you know what you're saying?

JUNOT

God help me -- yes.

NAPOLEON

How do you know?

JUNOT

I know.

NAPOLEON

How do you know?

Junot pulls himself together and speaks in an unnaturally

controlled and somewhat mechanical way.

JUNOT

I was in her maid's room at an inn

we stopped at for the night, outside

of Dijon. It was an adjoining room

to Madame Bonaparte's.

NAPOLEON

Yes?

Junot searches for a better way to say it but doesn't come

up with anything.

JUNOT

I could hear them, in the next room.

Napoleon's voice is barely audible.

NAPOLEON

You could hear them?

JUNOT

Yes.

Napoleon stares at the corner of a table.

NAPOLEON

You mean you heard them making love?

JUNOT

Yes.

Napoleon sits down.

NAPOLEON

How did you know it was Captain

Charles?

JUNOT

I questioned the maid, and she

admitted Charles had been Madame

Bonaparte's lover for several

months.

NAPOLEON

Can you give me a drink, please?

JUNOT

Yes, of course. What do you want?

Napoleon stares into space and doesn't reply.

Junot pours a glass of whisky. Napoleon drinks it down,

distastefully.

JUNOT

I wanted to kill him but Joseph

convinced me it would be a mistake.

He said people would say you hadn't

the courage to deal with it

yourself.

NAPOLEON

And was it so widely known that

Joseph had reason for such concern?

JUNOT

I believe so. I believe Madame

Bonaparte was not discreet, in

Paris.

A knock at the door. A momentary pause, then a much more

urgent knock.

BOURRIENNE (O.S.)

General Bonaparte?

NAPOLEON

Come back in an hour.

BOURRIENNE (O.S.)

Excuse me, General Bonaparte, but I

believe this is an extremely urgent

matter, requiring your immediate

attention.

NAPOLEON

Come in.

Bourrienne enters.

BOURRIENNE

This dispatch has just arrived from

Aboukir, marked highest priority,

for General Bonaparte's eyes only.

NAPOLEON

Let me see it.

He opens the envelope, reads it and tosses the note on the

table.

NAPOLEON

(flatly)

Nelson has engaged Brueys off

Aboukir. Brueys is dead and we have

lost eleven ships.

EXT. FRENCH TOWN - DAY

Wildly cheering crowds, flags, military band -- Napoleon

rides in an open carriage, waving. He is followed by two

other carriages, containing the small entourage, brought

back from Egypt. A beautiful floral Arc de Triomphe

decorates the end of the street.

NARRATOR

On October 9th, 1799, Napoleon, with

only a small entourage, arrived at

the port of Frejus, in France, after

a journey of six weeks, in which he

evaded a large British fleet. The

news of his arrival threw France

into a delirium of joy. His return

was seen as a kind of deliverance,

by a nation in the grip of economic

chaos, near anarchy and the threat

of invasion.

INT. CHAMBERS OF DIRECTORY IN PARIS - DAY

A large room in Luxembourg Palace. Napoleon is seated

before the five Directors, Barras, Sieyes, Moulins, Gohier

and Roger-Ducos, who are dressed in their pompous official

costumes with three-foot hats and feathered plumes.

Present also are Talleyrand, Fouche, Joseph, Lucien and

several dozen important officials.

NAPOLEON

Nelson's victory at Aboukir quite

effectively finished the strategic

purpose of the campaign, and with

the loss of all our principal

fighting ships, the army was

marooned in Egypt, and our

communications with the continent

were severed. The only options

remaining to me were to develop the

occupation of Egypt, to maintain the

morale of my army, and to respond to

the threats being created by the

English and, very soon, the Turks.

This was accomplished, culminating

in my final victory against the

Turks, when they attempted a landing

at Aboukir.

GOHIER

I wonder if you would care to tell

us, General Bonaparte, why, so soon

after this admirable victory, you

decided to... abandon your army and

return to France?

NAPOLEON

Citizen Gohier, my army was not

abandoned -- it was left in a very

strong position, and in the capable

hands of General Kleber.

GOHIER

Of course, General Bonaparte. An

unfortunate choice of words. Only

the enemies of your glory, whom we

shall regard as our own, would wish

to give adverse interpretation to

the honorable motives of patriotism,

which I am sure, induced you to...

leave... your colors. Please

continue.

Napoleon smiles, coldly.

NAPOLEON

After the defeat of the Turks, a

negotiation to arrange the exchange

of prisoners took place aboard Sir

Sidney Smith's flagship. At the end

of the first meeting, Sir Sidney

gave my chief negotiator, General

Marmont, several German newspapers,

of a fairly recent date.

Pause.

NAPOLEON

Now, you must bear in mind that for

more than a year I had received no

news at all from Europe, not a

newspaper or a single mail packet.

Perhaps you can imagine my state of

mind when I read of the serious

defeats that had been inflicted upon

France during my absence: the loss

of Italy, the Anglo-Russian army's

occupation of Holland, the imminent

invasion of France herself. After

several days of deliberation, it

seemed clear to me that it was my

duty to risk the English blockade

and, with a few small ships, attempt

to return, to serve my country in

any way that might be possible.

Narration starts over Napoleon's dialogue which fades

under.

NARRATOR

The government of the Directory was

bankrupt, and its presses ran all

night printing the money it would

spend the next day. Two of its five

members, Sieyes and Roger-Ducos, who

had the support of the moderate

political factions, were preparing

to seize power. They would welcome

the inclusion of Napoleon who would

secure the support of the army, and

who was now the most popular figure

in France.

The cutting of this scene will be done to place emphasis

on, and establish a relationship between, two of the

Directors, Sieyes and Roger-Ducos, Joseph Bonaparte,

Talleyrand and Napoleon. Sieyes and Roger-Ducos will be

cut with their names.

INT. CARRIAGE - DAY

Napoleon and Joseph driving through the park.

NAPOLEON

The important thing is to find the

right lawyer. One who will not

protract the thing indefinitely, in

the courts.

JOSEPH

You know I am only too happy to be

of help to you, but surely this

isn't the ideal moment to involve

yourself in such matters.

NAPOLEON

I know of no better time.

JOSEPH

You can't be serious. It would not

be good to become another husband

out of a Moliere farce.

NAPOLEON

The comedy of my marriage is

sufficiently well known already.

JOSEPH

You must not act impetuously.

NAPOLEON

It is time to clarify the situation.

Everything is over between us.

JOSEPH

But you can do the same thing in six

months. The next few weeks may be

the most important ones in your

life.

NAPOLEON

My mind is made up. She will not

set foot in my house again. I think

if I saw her again, I might be

tempted to strangle her.

Joseph sighs and tries to think of another line of

approach.

JOSEPH

Are you sure that you are not still

in love with her?

NAPOLEON

Are you trying to insult me?

JOSEPH

Of course not, but such violence of

feeling makes me wonder.