GOLDMAN, William



Marathon man

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I don't know that you'll understand this, but once upon a time, long ago, I was a scholar and a marathon man, but that fella's gone now, dead I suppose, but I remember something he thought, which was that if you don't learn the mistakes of the past, you'll be doomed to repeat them. Well we've been making a mistake with people like you, because public trials are bullshit and executions are games for winners - all this time we should have been giving back pain. That's the real lesson. That's the loser's share, just pain, pure and simple, pain and torture, no hotshot lawyers running around trying to see that justice is done. I think we'd have a nice peaceful place here if all you warmakers knew you better not start something because if you lost, agony was just around the bend. That's what I'd like to give you. Agony. Not what you're suffering now. I mean a lifetime of it, 'cause that's the only degree of justice I think we're ready for down here yet, and I know any humanist might disagree with me too, but I don't think you will, because you had a lot to do with educating me, I'm like you now, except I'm better at it, because you're going to die and I've still got a long way to go.

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All the President's Men

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WOODWARD continues to rub his neck as ROSENFELD hurries off, all the editors still moving toward the place where the moon-faced man intermittently rings the triangle.

WOODWARD picks up the sheet of yellow paper from his desk. Lined, legal-sized, it is crammed with names and numbers and addresses. They are in no neat order; looking at them it's almost like following a path; chicken tracks in ink.

WOODWARD mutters "to hell with it" and reaches for a thick book, flips it open.

NOW WE SEE THE BOOK: It's the Washington Phone Directory and we're in the W's. As WOODWARD's finger stops, we can see he's looking at the White House entry number. There it is, just like your name and mine. Listed.

Now WOODWARD starts to dial, visibly nervous, a fact he tries very hard to keep out of his voice tone.

WHITE HOUSE OPERATOR (V.O.)

White House.

WOODWARD ( casually )

Howard Hunt, please.

Throughout the following call, we stay on WOODWARD's face, hear the other voices.

WHITE HOUSE OPERATOR (V.O.)

Mr. Hunt does not answer.

WOODWARD is delighted he's even there.

WOODWARD

Thanks, anyway—

And he's about to hang up, when

WHITE HOUSE OPERATOR (V.O.)

I'll bet he's in Mr. Colson's office.

Let me connect you.

SECRETARY (V.O.)

Charles Colson's wire.

WOODWARD

(a little more excited)

Howard Hunt, please.

SECRETARY (V.O.)

Mr. Hunt isn't here just now.

WOODWARD

Thanks, anyway.

And he's about to hang up again when--

SECRETARY (V.O.)

Have you tried Mullen and Company Public Relations? He works at Mullen and Company Public Relations as a writer. The number is 555-1313. I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful.

WOODWARD

Listen, forget it.

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