He passes his hand over the enormous plot below.

 

                                MCNAMARA (CONT'D)

                      This isn't a blockade.

 

            McNamara, trembling with anger, awe¹, whirls to Anderson.  And

            his burgeoning² insight is born - clear, hard and cold.

 

                                MCNAMARA (CONT'D)

                      This, all this, is language, a new

                      vocabulary the likes of which the world

                      has never seen.

                      This is President Kennedy communicating

                      with Secretary Khruschev.

 

            McNamara JABS HIS FINGER OUT AT the plot, and --

 

            -- the CAMERA RACES DOWN, TRACKING OVER IT, across the vast

            ebb³ and flow of information, the delicate ballet of symbols

            and numerology, this language of steel and human life.

 

            INT. KENNY'S OFFICE - DAY

 

            SUPER: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26TH.  DAY 11.

 

            On Kenny's T.V. Walter Cronkite reads the news to footage of

            a BOARDING PARTY going up a ladder to the freighter MARCULA.

 

                                WALTER CRONKITE (V.O.)

                      At 7:29 this morning, the U.S.S. Joseph

                      Kennedy stopped and boarded the Soviet⁴

                      charter vessel⁵ Marcula.

 

            The Boarding Party wears dress whites and is UNARMED.

 

                                WALTER CRONKITE (V.O.) (CONT'D)

                      After a 3-hour inspection⁶, the Kennedy

                      signaled no contraband⁷ found.  Cleared

                      to continue.  Pentagon spokesmen expect

                      the next encounter.

 

            Kenny, who turns from the T.V. as the door to his office

            opens.  Rusk walks in.

 

                                RUSK

                      Kenny, we need to see the President.

                      Something's happened.

 

            Kenny reacts to Rusk's enigmatic expression.  And out from

            behind Rusk steps JOHN SCALI, the ABC News Correspondent.

 

            INT. OVAL OFFICE - DAY

 

            OFF THEIR REACTIONS, the CAMERA FINDS an under-strength, ad

            hoc EXCOM - Kenny, Bobby, Taylor, Bundy, Sorensen, McCone,

            Ball and the President.  Guarded hope all around.  The short,

            balding, pugnacious⁸ Scali looks discomfited⁹.

 

                                SCALI

                      I have lunch with him maybe once a

                      month.  Way he talks, he acts like he

                      knows Khruschev personally, but he's

                      never elaborated.  I've used him as a

                      source in a couple of stories.

 

            Kenny paces behind the gathered men around the President's

            desk, listening, mind going a million miles an hour.

 

                                RUSK

                      The FBI has identified this Alexander

                      Fomin as the Soviet Resident, the KGB

                      equivalent of one of our station chiefs.

                      He's their highest ranking spy in this

                      country.  And he knows John's a friend

                      of mine.

 

                                BUNDY

                      All the trademarks¹⁰ of a back-channel

                      overture.

 

            Kenny eyes Bundy, makes him uncomfortable.  The President

            sizes Scali up.

 

                                THE PRESIDENT

                      So they'll remove the missiles, and

                      we'll pledge not to invade Cuba,

                      destabilize Castro or assist anyone who

                      plans in doing so...

 

            Nobody dares speak.  It's as if the possibility of a

            settlement will vanish into thin air if anyone moves.

 

                                BOBBY

                      I think... this may be our first real

                      message from Khruschev.

 

                                MCCONE

                      The alternative, Mr. President, is that

                      this could be a trap.

 

                                KENNY

                      Dangle¹¹ a settlement, tie us down in

                      negotiations¹², we come up short...

 

                                MCCONE

                      Why else would they approach us in this

                      way?  It's deniable.  The Soviets¹³ have

                      done nothing but lie to us.  This could

                      be more of the same.

 

                                KENNY

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