Taylor nods, vindicated¹.  The others murmur² their approval.

            Bobby, at the table in front of Kenny and to his left, trades

            a dire³ look with Kenny.  This is happening too fast.  Bobby

            holds his head, looks about at the others, deeply distressed⁴.

 

            The President sinks back in his chair, staring at Acheson.

 

                                THE PRESIDENT

                      Then it appears we have three options.

                      Number one.  A surgical⁵ air strike

                      against the missiles themselves.  Two, a

                      larger air strike against their air

                      defenses along with the missiles.

 

            Kenny eyes Bobby.  Bobby is writing something.

 

                                THE PRESIDENT (CONT'D)

                      And three, invasion.

 

            Bobby looks over his shoulder at Kenny, and REACHES BACK to

            him with a folded NOTE.  Kenny takes it, opens it.

 

            It reads NOW I KNOW WHO TOJO FELT PLANNING PEARL HARBOR.

 

                                THE PRESIDENT (CONT'D)

                      We're certainly going to do number one;

                      we're going to take out these missiles,

                      so it seems to me we don't have to wait

                      very long.  We ought to at least be

                      making those preparations.

 

            Kenny gives Bobby a curt⁶ nod.  Bobby tilts⁷ his head at the

            President: pass the note on to him.  Kenny rises, slips the

            note in front of the President.

 

            The President unfolds the note, and we HOLD ON IT and his

            reaction as in the b.g., out of focus, Taylor speaks:

 

                                GENERAL TAYLOR

                      Yes, sir, we're preparing to implement⁸

                      all three options, though I must stress

                      again, sir, there are risks to the

                      strikes without the follow-on invasion.

 

            Bundy clears his throat.  Speaks from somewhere down the

            table.

 

                                BUNDY

                      You want to be clear, Mr. President,

                      that we have definitely decided⁹ against

                      a political track.

 

            The President folds the note away, glances at Bobby.  A beat,

            the President looks from Bobby to Acheson.

 

                                THE PRESIDENT

                      Dean, how does this play out?

 

                                ACHESON

                      Your first step, sir, will be to demand

                      that the Soviet¹⁰ withdraw the missiles

                      within 12 to 24 hours.  They will

                      refuse.  When they do, you will order

                      the strikes, followed by the invasion.

                      They will resist, but will be overrun.

                      They will retaliate¹¹ against a target

                      somewhere else in the world, most likely

                      Berlin.  We will honor our treaty

                      commitments and resist them there,

                      defeating them per our plans.

 

                                THE PRESIDENT

                      Those plans call for the use of nuclear

                      weapons.

                          (beat)

                      And what is the next step?

 

            Acheson sits back in his chair, smooths his moustache.  A

            dramatic beat, and then his ominous¹² pronouncement rings out:

 

                                ACHESON

                      Hopefully cooler heads will prevail

                      before we reach the next step.

 

            A chill runs down Kenny's spine¹³.  He looks in shock to the

            President.  The President remains¹⁴ calm.  But in place of the

            fated look the President has had, there's a hesitation¹⁵.

 

            INT. WEST WING HALLS - NIGHT

 

            Acheson strides down the hall, Taylor, Sweeney, Carter and

            Bundy swept along behind him.  Bundy is on the defensive¹⁶, the

            others grim.

 

                                GENERAL TAYLOR

                      If McNamara'd get off the fence...

 

                                BUNDY

                      We have time.

 

                                GENERAL CARTER

                      Goddamn it, it's obvious.  It's the only

                      option.  That asshole, Stevenson.  We

                      can't let this drag out or we lose our

                      shot.

 

                                BUNDY

                      Bombing them...

 

                                ACHESON

                      Remember that the Kennedys' father was

                      one of the architects of Munich.  The

                      General is right.  There is only one

                      responsible choice here.

 

            Bundy just nods.  Taylor grabs a door ahead for Acheson.

 

                                ACHESON (CONT'D)

                      Let's pray appeasement¹⁷ doesn't run in

                      families.  I fear weakness does.

 

            And the men head into a stairwell going down.

 

            INT. OVAL OFFICE - NIGHT

 

            Grimacing¹⁸ in pain.  He opens a pill bottle, takes two pills

            out.  He takes a whiskey in a shot glass from Kenny.

 

            RESUME

 

            Kenny finishes pouring him and Bobby a couple of more shots,

            discreetly¹⁹ turning a blind eye to the President's pain.

 

            The President returns from his desk, shirt untucked,

            disheveled, back stiff.  He eases into his rocking chair.

            Bobby lies sprawled²⁰ on the couch.  Kenny sits down.  They all

            look at each other.  A beat, something like shock.

 

                                KENNY

                      Jesus Christ Almighty²¹...

 

            They burst out laughing.  An absurd, tension draining moment.

            They shoot their drinks, Kenny refills.

 

                                KENNY (CONT'D)

                      Call me Irish, but I don't believe in

                      cooler heads prevailing²².

 

                                THE PRESIDENT

                      Acheson's scenario²³ is unacceptable.  And

                      he has more experience than anyone.

 

                                KENNY

                      There is no expert on this subject, no

                      wise old man.

 

            The President stares Kenny in the face, understanding.

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