Chapter VII

Chapter seven of CAPTAINS AND THE KINGS opens with Joseph Armagh (Richard Jordan) informing his son Rory (Perry King) that marriage to Claudia Desmond (Cynthia Sikes) is the only one he will sanction, guaranteeing a dowry of $20 million to assure future happiness, or he will completely disown his first born son. This shocking news prevents Rory from mentioning the fact that he has already wed his college sweetheart Marjorie (Jane Seymour), whose powerful father is Judge Newell Chisholm (John Houseman), also dismayed to see his Protestant daughter married to an Irish Catholic. While Rory heads off to find younger brother Kevin (Douglas Heyes Jr.) fighting with Teddy Roosevelt (Lee Jones deBroux) with his Rough Riders in the jungles of 1898 Cuba, Armagh displays his cunning ingenuity in putting an end to Rory's marriage to Marjorie with the two parties believing that the other is responsible; he also promises regular kickbacks to the elderly Judge Chisholm simply to keep a tight grip on his daughter, even for a European trip. As they start the wheels in motion for a quickie divorce, Rory finally discovers his missing brother, lying alone in a muddy ditch as he draws his last breath.