Nixon Page #19

Nixon fixes him with his stare. Helms clears his throat.

HELMS:

Is there something else that's

bothering you, Mr. President?

NIXON:

Yes ... It involves some old and

forgotten papers. Things I signed as

Vice President. I want the originals

in my office and I don't want copies

anywhere else.

Now knowing Nixon's cards, Helms relaxes -- about an inch.

HELMS:

You're referring, of course, to

chairing the Special Operations Group

as Vice President.

NIXON:

Yes ...

Helms wanders over to his prize orchids, fingers them.

HELMS:

As you know ... that was unique. Not

an operation as much as ... an organic

phenomenon. It grew, it changed

shape, it developed ... insatiable,

devouring appetites.

(then)

It's not uncommon in such cases that

things are not committed to paper.

That could be very ... embarrassing.

Nixon is embarrassed, and does not like it. Suddenly, the

Beast is in the room.

HELMS (CONT'D)

(reminding him)

I, for one, saw to it that my name was

never connected to any of those

operations.

On Nixon, waiting.

HELMS (CONT'D)

(fishing)

Diem? Trujillo? Lumumba? Guatemala?

Cuba? ... It's a shame you didn't take

similar precautions, Dick.

NIXON:

(very uncomfortable)

I'm interested in the documents that

put your people together with ... the

others. All of them ...

A beat. This is the fastball. Helms pours himself a

coffee.

HELMS:

President Kennedy threatened to smash

the CIA into a thousand pieces. You

could do the same ...

NIXON:

I'm not Jack Kennedy. Your agency is

secure.

HELMS:

(stirs the coffee)

Not if I give you all the cards ...

NIXON:

I promised the American people peace

with honor in Southeast Asia. That

could take time -- two, maybe three

years ... In the meantime, your agency

will continue at current levels of

funding.

HELMS:

(sips his coffee)

Current levels may not be sufficient.

NIXON:

The President would support a

reasonable request for an increase.

Helms smiles.

HELMS:

And me? ...

NIXON:

Firing you, Mr. Helms, wouldn't do any

good. Of course you'll continue as

DCI. You're doing a magnificent job.

HELMS:

And of course I accept. I'm

flattered. And I want you to know, I

work for only one president at a time.

NIXON:

Yes. And you will give General

Cushman full access.

HELMS:

(grudgingly accepts that)

It will take a little time, but I'll

order a search for your papers.

Though it does raise a disturbing

issue.

NIXON:

What?

HELMS:

Mr. Castro.

NIXON:

(tense)

Yes.

HELMS:

We have recent intelligence that a

Soviet nuclear submarine has docked at

Cienfuegos.

NIXON:

Well, we'll lodge a formal protest.

HELMS:

I don't think we can treat this as a

formality. Mr. Kennedy made a verbal

promise to the Russians not to invade

Cuba. But you authorized Dr.

Kissinger to put this in writing.

Nixon is taken aback by Helms's inside knowledge.

NIXON:

Are you tapping Kissinger?

HELMS:

My job, unpleasant sometimes, is to

know what others don't want me to

know.

NIXON:

(cold)

Not if you have spies in the White

House, it isn't your job.

HELMS:

It is not my practice to spy on the

president. Doctor Kissinger manages

to convey his innermost secrets to the

world at large on his own.

NIXON:

(absorbs this)

Mr. Helms, we've lived with Communism

in Cuba for ten years ...

HELMS:

... But it has never been the policy

of this government to accept that.

And it is certainly not CIA policy.

NIXON:

CIA policy? The CIA has no policy,

Mr. Helms. Except what I dictate to

you ...

(beat, they stare at each

other)

I try to adjust to the world as it is

today, not as you or I wanted it to be

ten years ago.

HELMS:

Is that why you and Kissinger are

negotiating with the Chinese?

A beat. Nixon stares.

HELMS (CONT'D)

This is an extremely dangerous

direction, Mr. President. Terrible

consequences can result from such

enormous errors in judgement.

NIXON:

But ... if we were able to separate

China from Russia once and for all, we

can -- we could create a balance of

power that would secure the peace into

the next century.

HELMS:

By offering Cuba to the Russians as a

consolation prize?

NIXON:

Cuba would be a small price to pay.

HELMS:

So President Kennedy thought.

A disturbing image suddenly appears in Nixon's mind --

KENNEDY with his head blown off in Dallas. Followed by an

IMAGE of his own death. In a coffin.

The smell of the orchids in the room is overwhelming.

Nixon feels himself dizzy.

NIXON:

I never thought Jack was ready for the

presidency. But I would never, never

consider ...

(then)

His death was awful, an awful thing

for this country.

(then)

Do you ever think of death, Mr. Helms?

HELMS:

Flowers are continual reminders of our

mortality. Do you appreciate flowers?

NIXON:

No. They make me sick. They smell

like death ... I had two brothers die

young. But let me tell you, there are

worse things than death. There is

such a thing as evil.

HELMS:

You must be familiar with my favorite

poem by Yeats? "The Second Coming"?

NIXON:

No.

HELMS:

Black Irishman. Very moving.

"Turning and turning in the widening

gyre / The falcon cannot hear the

falconer / Things fall apart, the

center cannot hold / Mere anarchy is

loosed upon the world / And everywhere

the ceremony of innocence is drowned /

The best lack all conviction, while

the worst are full of passionate

intensity" ... But it ends so

beautifully ominous -- "What rough

beast, its hours come round at last /

Slouches toward Bethlehem to be born?"

... Yes, this country stands at such a

juncture.

On Nixon, we:

CUT TO:

INT. THE WHITE HOUSE - NIXON BEDROOM - NIGHT

NIXON has just returned from a dinner party, this tuxedo

coming off, on the phone, a Scotch in hand, in high

spirits. A series of JUMP CUTS of his phone self as

follows:

NIXON (ON PHONE)

It was sudden death, Trini, but I

think I kicked Helms's ass.

(laughs)

Yeah, and Kissinger's running around

like a scared chicken right now; he

doesn't know who's gonna grab his

power. Yeah ... you should see him.

I call Haig, Kissinger shits!

More laughter.

JUMP CUT TO:

NIXON (ON PHONE) (CONT'D)

Did you see the look on Hoover's face?

He was redder than a beet. That

little closet fairy's got no choice.

He hates McGovern and Kennedy so much,

he's got to love me. And Lyndon?

PAT enters, in a nightdress, smoking.

PAT:

He looked old, didn't he?

NIXON:

(hardly noticing)

I asked him, "Lyndon, what would you

do, on a scale of one to ten?" And he

said, "Bomb the sh*t out of Hanoi,

boy! Bomb them where they live." ...

John, do you think I was too soft on

TV?

JUMP CUT TO:

NIXON (CONT'D)

Bob, I want to get on this energy

thing tomorrow -- we really have to

rethink our needs to the end of the

century. Let's do it at 1:00. And

don't forget the budget boys. I'm

gonna carve the sh*t out of 'em.

(beat)

Well, no, clear the afternoon and tell

Trini I'll be in Key Biscayne by 4:00

... No, alone ... Pat's staying here

with the girls.

Pat approaches him, nuzzles him. She seems a little

strange, tipsy ... but sexy in her nightdress.

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