Kenny shrugs. Adlai takes a long drink, closes his eyes.
ADLAI
Gotta keep up appearances. Of course, I
don´t care anymore. I´m a political
dead man. You ever seen a man cut his
own throat like I did today?
Kenny has no answer to that. He looks down, pained for
Adlai.
ADLAI (CONT´D)
Well, it´s all right.
(beat)
I came to tell you, just talked to a
friend. Reston and Frankel have the
story. It´s going to run tomorrow.
INT. BEDROOM - JIM ROWE´S HOUSE - LATER
Kenny, shut in the bedroom, paces on the phone.
KENNY
We´re not going to make it to Monday.
I´ll try to lean on Reston, but you´re
going to have to call Orville Dryfoos.
This is the sort of decision the
publisher makes himself.
INT. ORVILLE DRYFOOS´ KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS
New York Times publisher ORVILLE DRYFOOS sits at his kitchen
table in his underwear, still half-asleep, phone to his ear.
DRYFOOS
Yes, sir, I understand. But we held on
Bay of Pigs and it was the biggest
mistake of my life. What makes this any
different?
INT. PRESIDENT´S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS
The President, on the phone, stops pacing by his bedside
table and exhales.
THE PRESIDENT
I´m asking you to hold the story until I
can present our course of action on
Monday night.
INT. ORVILLE DRYFOOS´ KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS
DRYFOOS
All right. But I need a reason to give
my boys. They´re going to be screaming
for my head on a plate.
INT. PRESIDENT´S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS
THE PRESIDENT
Orville. I want you to tell them this:
they´ll be saving lives. Maybe even
including their own.
INT. ORVILLE DRYFOOS´ KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS
At that, Dryfoos sits up. Serious. All resistance gone.
DRYFOOS
Yes, Mr. President.
INT. ST. STEPHEN´S CHURCH - DAY
SUPER: SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21ST. DAY 6
AVE MARIA soars over the communion meditation at a crowded
Sunday mass. Kenny, in a pew, glances off to his left.
The President sits nearby, head bowed. But Kenny knows he´s
not thinking about the mass. And when the President at last
lifts his head, Kenny sees the calm poise.
The President has made up his mind...
INT. KENNY´S OFFICE - DAY
Bobby barges into Kenny´s office. Kenny, knowing his unique
entry, doesn´t bother to look up.
KENNY
Acheson called, DeGaulle´s with us;
haven´t heard from anyone else yet.
Kenny finally looks up. Bobby´s grim. And an icicle forms
in Kenny´s gut as Bobby relays.
BOBBY
He wants to talk to LeMay again.
INT. OVAL OFFICE - DAY
Kenny, Bobby, McNamara, Rusk, Bundy and half of EXCOM stand
to the side of the room. General Sweeney and LeMay stand in
front of the President´s desk.
The President, bowed in the window, is care-worn, a thousand
years old. The shadow, the composition of the SHOT tells us
all. It´s down to what´s in the heart of one man. Kenny is
deeply moved at his friend´s Gethsemane.
THE PRESIDENT
Cam, can you guarantee me you´ll get all
the missiles?
Sweeney glances at LeMay. LeMay´s stern, frozen look wills
him to say, very simply, "yes."
But then the President turns around, looks Sweeney in the
eye. It would make Machiavelli himself tell the truth.
