Wag the Dog Page #21

THE DOOR BEHIND THEM OPENS. BEAT. THEN A WEEPING SECRETARY COMES OUT.

BREAN, MOVES INTO THE ROOM, FOLLOWED BY AMES, WE SEE A ROOM FULL OF

SECRETARIES, QUIETLY WEEPING.

BREAN LOOKS AROUND FOR MOSS. HE SPOTS HIM THROUGH THE OPEN DOOR.

ANGLE. HIS POV, IN THE OVAL OFFICE, MOSS, HANDING THE SPEECH BACK TO THE

PRESIDENT.

MOSS:

"The Speech Won't Work..."

MOSS STARTS OUT OF THE OFFICE, BACK TOWARD THE CAMERA, AND THEN TURNS BACK TO

THE PRESIDENT.

MOSS:

...and see if you can keep your dick in your pants two

more weeks, willya...?

(HE CLOSES THE DOOR)

(TO HIMSELF, DEROGATORILY)

"...speech won't work..."

AS HE STARTS TO LEAVE THE ROOM, ONE OF THE WEEPING SECRETARIES TAKES HIS HAND

AND KISSES IT...

HE PICKS UP HIS LOCKSMITH KIT, AND STARTS DOWN THE HALL, MOTIONING TO HIM TWO

SECRET SERVICE ESCORTS, "LET'S GO..."

HOLD ON THE WAITING ROOM, ONE OR TWO RESIDUAL WEEPING SECRETARIES DABBING AT

THEIR EYES. AND A SIGN ON THE BOARD, READING 6 DAYS TO ELECTION, AND %-IN-

FAVOR -- 37%. AN AIDE GOES OVER TO THE BOARD, A PHONE TO HIS EAR, AND WIPES

OUT 37% AND INSERTS 27%.

INT STUDIO APARTMENT NIGHT.

A YOUNG FELLOW, IN BLUEJEANS AND T-SHIRT, EATING POPCORN OUT OF A BOWL AND

WATCHING TELEVISION.

ON THE TELEVISION, THE PRESIDENT, IN THE OVAL OFFICE.

TV (VOICE OVER)

Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the United

States.

WE SEE THE FORM OF THE PRESIDENT COME TO THE PODIUM, AND CAIN MOVES TO THE

BACK OF THE READYROOM, WHERE SHE WATCHES, THROUGH A TWO-WAY MIRROR, THE BACK

OF THE PRESIDENT, AS THE PRESIDENT PREPARES TO GIVE THE SPEECH. WE SEE,

BEYOND THE PRESIDENT THE PODIUM, AND THE GLASS WITH THE TELEPROMPTER TEXT

PRINTED ON IT, AS IT SCROLLS UP, AND WE SEE CAIN FOLLOW ALONG, ON THE TEXT AT

HER HAND.

PRESIDENT:

Thank you, would you be seated, please.

(PAUSE)

Ladies and Gentlemen... I thank. A merciful God. And

I am sure each and every one of us will thank that

Supreme Power, whatever we conceive that power to be --

that peace is at hand.

MURMUR AMONG THE PRESSCORPS. THE PRESIDENT CLEARS HIS THROAT, AND TAKES A SIP

OF WATER.

CAIN LOOKS UP, AND WE SEE ON A VIDEOMONITOR, WHICH SHOWS A REARVIEW OF THE

PRESIDENT, THE SAME TELEPROMPTER IMAGE HE SEES, WHICH READS:

...That peace is at hand...

(CLEAR THROAT AND TAKE A DRINK)

ANGLE:

THE PRESIDENT, CONTINUIN TO SPEAK.

PRESIDENT:

The threat of Nuc1ear Terrorism has been quelled. We

are in contaot with the Albanian Premier, who assures

me, and this government credits his assurances, that

his country does not wish us ill, and has not. That

the threat which we perceived was not of his wish, or

of his making.

ANGLE:

CAIN, MOUTHING ALONG, WITH THE SPEECH, SHE LOOKS DOWN, AND WE SEE WRITTEN, ON

HER COPY.

of his making

(BITE LIP)

ANGLE:

AS WE LOOK UP, WE SEE THE PRESIDENT BITING HIS LIP, AND CONTINUING WITH THE

SPEECH.

PRESIDENT:

From whence did it come? Our information states it

came from a small group of armed, dissidents. Of Armed

and Violent Dissidents...

ANGLE:

ON CAIN, AS SHE LOOKS AROUND.

ANGLE, HER POV.

THE GROUP, LISTENING SPELLBOUND.

ANGLE:

CAIN, AS SHE SMILES TO HERSELF.

ANGLE:

ON THE PRESIDENT. AS HE CONTINUES.

PRESIDENT (C)

But that group has been, in the main, subdued. Now:

How did we come by this information? And. Who subdued

that group?

(THE PRESIDENT COUGHS)

ANGLE:

CAIN LOOKS DOWN AT HER SCRIPT. SHRUGS, AND LOOKS UP.

ANGLE:

ON THE PRESSCORP, THE REPORTERS, LISTENING WIDEMOUTHED, TO THE PRESIDENT'S

SPEECH.

PRESIDENT:

It falls to me to reveal to you a secret.

(PAUSE)

To reveal the existence of a secret group of warriors.

Men, yes, and women, trained and pledged their

strength, their skills, and, if called upon, their

lives, in the service of their fellow Americans.

A group so secret, its very existence has been known to

just a few, and known not by a Name, but by a

Designation Number, Three-Oh-Three...

INT HEADQUARTERS IN THE SHOESTORE IN THE MALL, NIGHT.

LIZ, THE COSTUME DESIGNER, WORKING ON A DRAWING OF A SHOULDER PATCH, ON A

BERET. ON ONE SKETCH WE SEE IT IS ON A BLACK BERET, ON THE ONE BELOW IT IS ON

A LEOPARDSKIN BERET.

ONE VERSION HAS A COUGAR WITH AN OLILTE BRANCH, WE PAN ONTO VERSION TWO WHICH

SHOWS A DOVE HOLDING A SWORD. THE NUMERALS 303 FIGURE PROMINENTLY ON EACH.

THE BANNER FOR THE MOTTO IS BLANK.

LIZ:

...anybcdy know Latin.

PRESIDENT:

(VO)

...member of the group, was left behind what were,

then, Enemy Lines.

(PAUSE)

ANGLE:

ON LIZ, AS SHE WALKS THROUGH THE H.Q., ON A BOARD WE SEE "DAYS TILL ELECTION

6" AND % IN FAVOR 82%. A HUGE TV SHOWS THE PRESIDENT.

PRESIDENT:

And I can only say, to those family members, of group

303, which members are, I know, as I speak, gathering

to comfort you, the parents of the missing man, I can

only say,

LIZ:

I need a Latin Motto, anybody know n'y Latin...?

PRESIDENT:

....and the Albanian Government joins with me, that no,

I repeat, No effort will be apared, to find...

ANGLE INT LIMO, BREAN AND MOSS WATCHING THE TV

PRESIDENT:

(ON TV)

...this brave man and to bring him home.

BEAT. BREAN REACHES OVER AND TURNS DOWN THE SOUND.

THEY LOOK AT EACH OTHER AND SMILE.

MOSS:

Trump that, Senator Nole, you Howdy Doody vontz.

BREAN:

Not bad for government work.

(PAUSE)

Having a good time.

MOSS:

Haven't had so much fun since Live TV.

BREAN SIGHS, TAKES A PHOTO OF SCHUMANN FROM HIS POCKET, CAMERA SEES IT

CAPTIONED WITH THE NAME WILLIAM SCHUMANN, ETC.

PRESIDENT:

(HOLDS UP A PHOTOGRAPH)

Here's a photograph. It is a photograph of a man.

His name is William Schumann. He is a Master Sergeant

in the United States Army. A member of the Squad

303....dropped behind Albanian Lines. We've just

received this photograph, of Schumann in Captivity.

Held by a dissident group of Albanian

Terrorists...Now, I don't know how many of you are

familiar with the Morse Code...but...could you bring

the camera closer in here, please...?

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