The Post Page #9

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possible, likely even,

that a number of their institutional

investors will pull out

if you go ahead and publish,

and if they pull out...

Kay.

You got a couple of hours.

For your sake

and for the sake of

everyone of your employees,

I hope you will reconsider.

Give me a canister.

Get it downstairs, and

I want the page editor

standin' over lino till

they got it ready to print.

Okay.

Mr. Bagdikian.

I need to know your source.

I thought I was clear earlier.

Well, we weren't

going to press earlier.

Yeah, well, my

answer's the same.

"This action has been commenced

to enjoin The New York Times

"and their agents from further

disseminating or disclosing

certain alleged top

secret documents"

Are you trying to piss me off?

No, not me, Judge Gurfein.

If you look at the text of

his restraining order--

I read his restraining order.

So then you know that if The Times

was your source, we would be in

-direct violation of--

-I did not get the study

from The Times.

You're sure?

We done?

Did you get it from their source?

Excuse me?

Did you get the study

from the same source

as The Times?

We do not reveal our sources.

"This action has been

commenced to enjoin

"The New York Times and its agents--"

-I get it, I get it.

-from disseminating or disclosing...

If you got the study

from the same source,

that would amount to collusion.

Yeah, we could all

be executed at dawn.

And we could be held

in contempt of court.

Which means Mr. Bradlee and

Mrs. Graham could go to jail.

Mr. Bagdikian,

how likely is it

that your source

and The Times' source

are the same person?

It's likely.

How likely?

Very.

-It's very likely.

-Yes.

What is all this?

Lemonade earnings.

Marina wanted me to put

it away for safekeeping.

Ah, wow.

We're publishing.

Wow.

I didn't think Kay'd do it.

That's brave.

Well, she's not the

only one who's brave.

Oh, what have you got to lose?

Uh, my job.

-My reputation.

-Oh, Ben, please.

We both know this

will do nothing but

burnish your reputation.

And as for your job, you can

always find another one.

If you're tryin' to

make me feel better,

there's nicer ways to do it.

You're very brave.

But Kay...

Kay is in a position she

never thought she'd be in.

A position I'm sure

plenty of people

don't think she should have.

And when you're told time and time

again that you're not good enough,

that your opinion

doesn't matter as much,

when they don't

just look past you,

when to them, you're

not even there,

when that's been your

reality for so long

it's hard not to let

yourself think it's true.

So, to make this decision,

to risk her fortune

and the company

that's been her entire life,

well, I think that's brave.

-Bradlee.

-Ben.

We got a problem.

Remember this?

-The day before the funeral.

-Yeah.

Wasn't it?

Yeah.

I didn't...I didn't want to do it, but

Fritz said I should

go in and

say a few words

to the board and

so,

I-I tried to rehearse something

but it all turned out so awful

and before I knew it, the car

was there ready to take me

and then you came out.

I remember.

You came out in your little

nightgown and your robe.

You hopped in the car

with me, gave me this.

Somehow, you managed to

scribble these notes for me

so I'd know what to say.

Well, I-I don't have

my glasses up here.

-So, just read it for me.

-Mummy.

Oh, come on, just,

would you read it to me?

One, thank them.

Two,

there has been a crisis

but you know they will carry on.

Three, never expected

to be in this

situation.

Four, going off to clear mind

and think about the future.

Five, no changes at this time,

paper will remain in the family.

And six, and be carried

on in the tradition

-and so well said.

-So well said

You know, I just wanted

to hold on to the company

for you and Don

-and Willie and Stephen.

-You did.

-You have.

-Well.

You know that quote--

The quote,

"A woman preaching is like a

dog walking on its hind legs,

"it's not done well and

"you're surprised to

see it's done at all."

-Samuel Johnson.

-Oh, Mummy.

That's a bunch of nonsense.

No, but that's the way

we all thought then.

You know.

I was never supposed

to be in this job.

When my father chose your

dad to run the company,

I thought it was the most

natural thing in the world.

I was so proud

because, you know,

Phil was so brilliant and he was

so gifted and

but I thought that was the

way it was supposed to be.

Everybody thought that way then.

And I was raising you kids and

I was happy

in my life the way it was.

But then when it all fell

apart, you know, when

when Phil died, it was just

I was forty-five years old

and I had never held a

I'd never had to hold

a job in my life.

But I just, I loved

the paper, you know, I do.

I do so love the paper,

I don't want it to be my fault

I don't want to be the one who...

I don't want to let

Phil and my father and

all of you kids

and everybody down.

Mrs. Graham?

You ran here?

Yeah.

There's been a bit of a uh,

a complication.

I didn't understand at first but now

everything is of a different light.

Our source might be the same

as The New York Times'.

Okay.

If so, we could be

held in contempt.

Meaning?

Well, we could all go to prison.

Now putting that aside,

Katharine, I-I've come

to realize just

just how much

you have at stake.

Paul, I'm glad you're here.

Fritz is sitting with

Mrs. Graham now.

-Ben is here.

-Yes, I figured he would be.

-Jesus Christ.

-Mr. Bradlee,

if you knew Mr. Bagdikian

received the study from

-the same source at the time,

-Well, I didn't know because

-that would have been useful...

-I'm not in the habit of asking

my reporters who

their sources are,

and if you've spent

any time in a real

goddamn newspaper,

you'd know why.

You understand he's

trying to help you, Ben?

Mrs. Graham, hi.

We can all-

We can all appreciate

why Ben wants to publish

and if these papers had

come from someone else,

we might have been able

to skirt the issue.

Anything from

the folks upstairs?

No.

We gotta start the run

or we won't get to the

carriers on time.

I disagreed with you earlier, but

I thought it brave, but this?

If we were to publish

knowing this,

it would just be irresponsible.

Fritz, do you agree?

Well, I don't particularly like the

idea of Kay as a convicted felon.

And then there's the

issue of the prospectus.

Based on the conversations I've

had with my friends at Kravath,

I believe a criminal

indictment would

qualify as a catastrophic event.

And given the likelihood

of indictment now...

Kay, it could--

Yes, I...I understand.

We uh, we have a responsibility

to the company, to the-

all the employees and to the

long term health of the paper.

Absolutely, Kay.

Yes. However, um...

The prospectus also talks about

the mission of

the paper which is

outstanding news

collection and reporting,

isn't that right?

Yes.

And...

And it also says

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