BINOCULAR POV:

            Of the Soviet Bridge, where their LOOKOUTS are staring right

            back through their binoculars.

            INT. SITUATION ROOM - DAY

            The HISS of static.  And then.

                                MCNAMARA (O.S.)

                      Mr. President?

            INT. FLAG PLOT - THE PENTAGON - CONTINUOUS

            McNamara is grinning wildly at the chaos unfolding in the

            flag plot below.  Phones are ringing everywhere.

            ON THE LIGHT TABLE

            The Watch Officers' hands fly from one notation to the other,

            circling the Soviet ships, marking them DEAD IN THE WATER.

                                MCNAMARA

                      -- we've got reports coming from all

                      over!  The ships are stopping!  Some...

                      are turning around!

            INT. SITUATION ROOM - CONTINUOUS

            The room EXPLODES, victorious.  Kenny and Bobby break into

            big grins, grab each other.  Kenny pumps the President's

            hand.  Rusk and Bundy slap each other on the back.

                                RUSK

                      We were eyeball to eyeball and I think

                      the other fellow just blinked.

            The ruckus goes on for a minute.  McCone comes back in.

                                MCCONE

                      Mr. President.

            His voice is lost in the celebration.  McCone calls out:

                                MCCONE (CONT'D)

                      Mr. President!

            The hubub dies away.

                                MCCONE (CONT'D)

                      Sir, we have the tally from NSA.  We

                      have twenty ships stopping and or

                      turning around.  Six, however, appear to

                      be continuing for the line.  Including

                      the Gagarin and Kimovsk.

            The elation goes out of the room.  Kenny looks at the

            President.  The President picks up the phone again.

                                THE PRESIDENT

                      Captain, have the ships you're observing

                      changed course?

                                CAPTAIN (O.S.)

                      No, Mr. President.  They've just crossed

                      the quarantine line.

            Bobby grips the edge of the table, immediately believing.

                                BOBBY

                      It's an accident.  They must not have

                      gotten their orders yet.  Let 'em go.

                                GENERAL TAYLOR

                      Unlikely, Mr. President.  We've been

                      monitoring transmissions from both the

                      Gagarin and Kimovsk.  Their radios are

                      working fine.

                                MCCONE

                      One ship, an accident maybe.  Six: this

                      is intentional.

            The President looks to Bobby.  He has no answer.  Kenny's

            mind races over the variables, and he leans forward, intense,

            suddenly understanding in a flash of insight:

                                KENNY

                      They're right.  This is intentional.

            He glances around the room.  All of EXCOM is looking at him.

            Bobby stares at Kenny, too shocked to feel betrayed.

                                KENNY (CONT'D)

                      Khruschev's stopped the 20 ships which

                      are carrying contraband, and he's

                      letting the ones which aren't go

                      through, hoping for an incident.  I

                      think we should let them go.

            Bobby relaxes.  Around the table there are nods.

                                MCCONE

                      If we do, it erodes the credibility of

                      the quarantine.  He'll just send more

                      through tomorrow.

            The President looks at Kenny.

                                KENNY

                      Then we deal with it tomorrow.  But

                      today he's stopped most of them.  He's

                      done something smart here.  We gave him

                      an ultimatum, and he's agreed to most of

                      it, preserving just enough room to save

                      face.  We need to do something just as

                      smart now.

            Bobby's nodding, following the argument.  Kenny looks around

            the room for support.

                     INT. FLAG PLOT - THE PENTAGON - CONTINUOUS

            McNamara, pacing on the phone, jumps in.

                                MCNAMARA

                      Mr. President, I agree.  Let them go.

                      Four of the six continuing ships are

                      still a day away from the line.  They've

                      stopped all the ones we suspect have

                      weapons aboard.

                      It would look bad shooting up a

                      freighter full of baby food.

            INT. SITUATION ROOM - CONTINUOUS

            The President holds Kenny's gaze, then lifts the phone.

                                THE PRESIDENT

                      Captain, I want you to maintain contact

                      with those ships.  Do nothing until I

                      order otherwise.  Is that clear?

                                CAPTAIN (O.S.)

                      Yes, Mr. President.  Contact only.

            He hangs up, turns to Kenny.

                                THE PRESIDENT

                      I hope you're right.