Zorin, headphones on, listens to his own translation, but

            doesn't respond, acts bored.  It gets Adlai's goat, and he

            begins to lose his cool.  A rumble¹ from the U.N.  The CAMERA

            FINDS Adlai's hand SHAKING, gripping his pen.

 

            INT. SITUATION ROOM - WHITE HOUSE - DAY

 

            EXCOM is worried.

 

                                RUSK

                      Come on, Adlai, don't let him off!

 

                                BOBBY

                      John?  It's Bobby.  Get ready to send

                      your staffer in.  He's going to be

                      coming out.

 

            INT. U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS² - CONTINUOUS

 

            But Adlai's tremors³ are not tremors of fear.  They are

            tremors of anger.  His voice goes hard and cold.

 

                                ADLAI

                      All right, sir.  Let me ask you one

                      simple question.  Do you, Ambassador

                      Zorin, deny that the U.S.S.R. has placed

                      and is placing medium and intermediate

                      range missiles and sites in Cuba?  Yes

                      or no - don't wait for the translation -

                      yes or no?

 

            The diplomatic world GASPS⁵ as Adlai drops all pretense⁶ of

            civility, all statesman-like grace.

 

            INT. SITUATION ROOM - CONTINUOUS

 

            EXCOM's excitement mounts.  In the chorus urging Adlai on, we

            find Kenny edge toward the screen.

 

                                KENNY

                      Yeah.  Yeah.

 

            INT. U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS - CONTINUOUS

 

            Zorin shoots Adlai a testy⁷ look.

 

                                ZORIN

                      I am not in an American courtroom, sir,

                      and therefore I do not wish to answer a

                      question that is put to me in the

                      fashion in which a prosecutor⁸ puts

                      questions.  In due course, sir, you will

                      have your answer.

 

            There's laughter at Zorin's refusal to be bullied⁹: but it's

            nervous laughter, not the polite stuff of diplomatic tete-a

            tete.  The RUMBLE in the room grows louder.

 

                                ADLAI

                      You are in the courtroom of world

                      opinion right now, and you can answer

                      yes or no.  You have denied they exist,

                      and I want to know if I have understood

                      you correctly.

 

                     INT. SITUATION ROOM - DAY

 

            EXCOM ROARS!  Fists in the air!  Bobby lets the phone dangle¹⁰

            a beat, covers it.  And then he lifts it again.

 

                                BOBBY

                      John, I'll get back to you.

 

            He lowers the phone to the receiver.  Kenny shoots him a

            triumphant¹¹ smile.  The President looks at Kenny, shakes his

            head, a big smile on his face.

 

            INT. U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS - CONTINUOUS

 

            Adlai presses on.

 

                                ADLAI

                      And I'm prepared to present the evidence

                      in this room, proving that the Soviet¹²

                      Union has lied to the world.

 

            And Zorin cracks.  He looks uneasily to his delegation¹³.  They

            bend forward to consult.  Adlai sits back in his chair,

            draping his arms over its wings with the confidence of

            someone who knows he's kicked ass⁴.

 

            Adlai looks around the room while he's waiting for his

            answer, managing not to smile.  The diplomatic world is

            scandalized.  At last Zorin regroups, lifts his head from his

            huddle¹⁴.

 

                                ZORIN

                      If you do not choose to continue your

                      statement, the Chair recognizes the

                      representative from Chile.

 

            The CHILEAN DELEGATE stands.

 

                                CHILEAN DELEGATE

                      I yield my time and the floor to the

                      representative to the United States.

 

            The room explodes in laughter.  Not just nervous any more,

            not just polite.  They're laughing at Zorin's parliamentary

            ploy¹⁵ blowing up in his face.

            Zorin's smile is gone, his smooth facade¹⁶ destroyed.  And he

            looks like the biggest fool in the world.

 

            Adlai stares at the beet-faced man with disdain¹⁷.  At last,

            Adlai stands, gestures to the door to the hall behind him.

 

            The PHOTO INTERPRETERS come racing¹⁸ in with their briefing

            boards.

 

                                ADLAI

                      Well then, ladies and gentlemen, since

                      it appears we might be here for a while,

                      shall we have a look at what the Soviets¹⁹

                      are doing in Cuba?

 

            The Delegates RUMBLE in interest, rise from their seats to

            approach Adlai.

 

            INT. SITUATION ROOM - CONTINUOUS

 

            EXCOM celebrates.  Phones ring at several of the chairs at

            the conference table. The President and Kenny meet as Bundy

            picks up a phone in the b.g.

 

                                THE PRESIDENT

                      Didn't know Adlai had it in him.  Too

                      bad he didn't have this stuff in '52.

 

                                KENNY

                      Zorin must not have gotten instructions.

                      Somebody in their Foreign Ministry's

                      blown it big-time.

 

            Bundy steps forward, holding the phone.

 

                                BUNDY

                      Mr. President...

 

            Kenny and the President turn to see what they already have

            heard in those two words: concern.  The room falls quiet.

 

            INT. FLAG PLOT - THE PENTAGON - CONTINUOUS

 

            Phone in hand, McNamara paces at his post over the flag plot.

 

                                MCNAMARA

                      ...the ship is called Groznyy.

 

            EXT. OCEAN, PUERTO RICO TRENCH²⁰ - CONTINUOUS

 

            The Soviet Tanker²¹, Groznyy, breasts the heavy seas.  Armed

            CREWMEN race along the deck to makeshift sandbagged

            emplacements in the bow.

 

                                MCNAMARA (V.O.)

                      We lost track of it yesterday at

                      nightfall.  We thought we gave it plenty

                      of room when we moved the quarantine

                      line back.  We just reacquired it.

 

            The CAMERA PANS to the left, revealing a U.S. DESTROYER

            racing up alongside a few hundred yards away, pounding up and

            over the swells²², punching up a huge fan of spray from its

            bow.

 

            INT. FLAG PLOT - THE PENTAGON - CONTINUOUS

 

                                MCNAMARA

                      It crossed the line hours ago.

 

            Admiral Anderson, on the phone on the level below, is tense.

 

                                ADMIRAL ANDERSON

                      Hail them again.

 

                                THE PRESIDENT (O.S.)

                      Keep us posted, Bob.

 

            McNamara leans against the wall, closes his eyes in

            exhaustion²³ and stress.  And when he opens the, we PAN AROUND

            TO REVEAL:

 

            A G-d-like view of the flag plot, covered with HUNDREDS OF

            SHIPS, PLANES AND MARKINGS.

 

            McNamara stares out at the bewildering tangle²⁴ of symbols,

            living men behind each one.  Each tangle of red and blue

            symbols a powderkeg.  A G-dlike view indeed.  And it is far

            more than any one mere²⁵ man could keep control of. And he

            begins to realize it.

 

                                MCNAMARA

                      We're kidding ourselves...

 

            And not only that, in his bleary, sleep-deprived fog, he

            begins to understand something happening down there.

 

            The CAMERA MOVES over the enormous map, over the scrolling²⁶

            cryptic²⁷ numerology.  THE BUZZ of radio communications bleeds

            in from the background.  The overhead platform swivels on its

            motor, like the vast arm of some fate-writing god as the

            Watch Officer on it updates the movements of the ships.

 

            McNamara stares, at the verge²⁸ of grasping something.  Through

            the door-crack of genius, he has the glimpse of some grander

            thing, some grander design.

 

                                ADMIRAL ANDERSON

                      Very well.  Load your guns.

 

            That starts McNamara from his fatigued²⁹ reverie.  He goes to

            the railing, looks down on Anderson.

 

                                MCNAMARA

                      What was that, Admiral?

 

            Anderson turns, gazes up from his tier below, distracted.

 

                                ADMIRAL ANDERSON

                      We've been hailing the Groznyy for the

                      last hour, Mr. Secretary.  The Groznyy

                      refuses to stop.

 

                                MCNAMARA

                      What are you doing?

 

                                ADMIRAL ANDERSON

                      Carrying out our mission, Mr. Secretary.

                      If you don't mind, we're very busy right

                      now.  We need to be able to do our jobs.

 

                                MCNAMARA

                      Admiral, I asked you a question.

 

            Anderson holds the phone aside, turns around again, looks up

            at him, impatient.  His answer is hard, cold, dangerous.

 

                                ADMIRAL ANDERSON

                      We're going to follow the Rules of

                      Engagement.  The Rules of Engagement

                      which the President has approved and

                      signed in his order of October 23rd.

 

            Anderson listens again to the phone.

 

                                ADMIRAL ANDERSON (CONT'D)

                      Yes, Captain, you may proceed.  Clear

                      your guns.

 

                                MCNAMARA

                      What --

 

            EXT. OCEAN, PUERTO RICO TRENCH - CONTINUOUS

 

            The Destroyer's forward 5-inch twin guns swivel, train on the

            Groznyy.  A beat.  They OPEN FIRE with an ear-splitting

            BAMBAM, ripping the air in front of the muzzles³⁰, the Groznyy

            so close a miss isn't possible.

 

            INT. FLAG PLOT - THE PENTAGON - CONTINUOUS

 

            McNamara SHOUTS at Anderson, dropping down the steps to

            Anderson's level.

 

                                MCNAMARA

                      GODDAMNIT, STOP THAT FIRING!

 

            Watch Officers scramble³¹ to comply, chaos³² and shouting in the

            war room as a chorus if "Cease fire cease fire cease fire,"

            goes up.  McNamara turns on Anderson, is in his face.

 

                                MCNAMARA (CONT'D)

                      Jesus Christ, God help us.

 

            Anderson smashes the phone down, wheels on McNamara, furious.

 

            EXT. OCEAN, PUERTO RICO TRENCH - CONTINUOUS

 

            The Destroyer's guns hammer away at the Groznyy, at point

            blank range... but the Groznyy IS UNHARMED. 

 

            Suddenly, in the air above it appear BRILLIANT FLARES³³.  They

            light up the ship, brighter than the sun.  The destroyer

            isn't firing deadly rounds... it's firing harmless

            starshells.

 

            INT. FLAG PLOT - THE PENTAGON - CONTINUOUS

 

            Anderson gets in McNamara's face.

 

                                ADMIRAL ANDERSON

                      That ship was firing starshells.

                      Starshells.  Flares, Mr. Secretary.

 

            Everyone's eyes are on the two men.  Only the chatter³⁴ of

            teletype breaks the paralyzing silence.  McNamara blinks,

            looks down at the plot on the floor.  Anderson's voice drops

            to a deadly sotto.

 

                                ADMIRAL ANDERSON (CONT'D)

                      Goddammitt, I've got a job to do.

                      You've been camped out up there since

                      Monday night.  You're exhausted³⁵ and

                      you're making mistakes.  Interfere³⁶ with

                      me, you will get some of killed.  I will

                      not allow that.

 

            McNamara looks away at the faces of the men in the room.

 

                                MCNAMARA

                      Starshells.

 

                                ADMIRAL ANDERSON

                      Get out of our way, Mr. Secretary.  The

                      navy has been running blockades since

                      the days of John Paul Jones.

 

            McNamara turns back.  And all trepidation³⁷, embarrassment³⁸,

            hesitation³⁹ are gone.  He coldly appraises⁴⁰ Anderson.

 

                                MCNAMARA

                      I believe the President made it clear

                      that there would be no firing on ships

                      without his express permission. 

 

                                ADMIRAL ANDERSON

                      With all due respect, Mr. Secretary, we

                      were not firing on the ship.  Firing on

                      a ship means attacking the ship.  We

                      were not attacking the ship.  We were

                      firing over it.

 

                                MCNAMARA

                      This was not the President's intention

                      when he gave that order.  What if the

                      Soviets don't see the distention?  What

                      if they make the same mistake I just

                      did?

                          (beat)

                      There will be no firing anything near

                      ANY Soviet ships without my express

                      permission, is that understood, Admiral?

 

                                ADMIRAL ANDERSON

                      Yes, sir.

 

                                MCNAMARA

                      And I will only issue such instructions

                      when ordered to by the President.

                          (beat)

                      John Paul Jones... you don't understand

                      a thing, do you, Admiral?

 

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