On the Beach Page #4

I WAS TOO.

HE WAS SUCH A NICE MAN

WHILE HE LASTED.

IS HE YOURS, MOIRA ?

OH, ON LOAN.

OH.

WELL... TOODLE.

[ Snickers ]

TOODLE.

[ Laughs ]

[ Guests Chattering ]

HE JUST DRINKS AND DRINKS

AND NOTHING HAPPENS.

AT LEAST HE HASN' BURST INTO TEARS.

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.

[ Man ] AMEN !

[ Man #2 ]

THAT'S SHEER BALDERDASH !

I NEVER HEARD SO MUCH

NONSENSE IN MY LIFE.

YOU MEAN TO TELL ME,

THIS WHOLE WAR WAS AN ACCIDENT ?

NO, IT WASN'T AN ACCIDENT.

I DIDN'T SAY THAT.

IT WAS CAREFULLY PLANNED,

DOWN TO THE TINIEST MECHANICAL

AND EMOTIONAL DETAIL.

BUT IT WAS A MISTAKE,

IT WAS A BEAUT.

IN THE END, SOMEHOW GRANTED

THE TIME FOR EXAMINATION,

WE SHALL FIND:

THAT OUR SO-CALLED CIVILIZATION

WAS GLORIOUSLY DESTROYED...

BY A HANDFUL:

OF VACUUM TUBES AND TRANSISTORS.

PROBABLY FAULTY.

[ Man #2 ]

THERE YOU ARE, JULIAN.

NOW WE KNOW:

WHERE THE BLAME LIES.

OH, NO, YOU DON'T.

NO. NO.

MAYBE WE WERE THE BLIND

MECHANICS OF DISASTER,

BUT YOU DON'T PIN THE GUIL ON THE SCIENTISTS

THAT EASILY.

YOU MIGHT AS WELL

PIN IT ON... MOTHERHOOD.

IT SHOULD BE PINNED

ON SOMEBODY.

YOU SCIENTISTS:

ARE THE LIKELY ONES

AS FAR AS I CAN SEE.

YOU BUILT THE BOMB.

YOU EXPERIMENTED WITH IT,

TESTED IT AND EXPLODED IT.

JUST A MOMENT, MORGAN.

THANKS TO YOU CHAPS,

A MOMENT IS ABOUT ALL WE HAVE.

EVERY MAN WHO EVER WORKED

ON THIS THING TOLD YOU

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN.

THE SCIENTISTS SIGNED

PETITION AFTER PETITION,

JULIAN, PLEASE.

BUT NOBODY LISTENED.

THERE WAS A CHOICE.

IT WAS BUILD THE BOMBS

AND USE THEM...

OR RISK THE UNITED STATES,

THE SOVIET UNION

AND THE REST OF US...

WOULD FIND SOME WAY

TO GO ON LIVING.

[ Scoffs ]

THAT'S WISHFUL THINKING,

IF EVER I HEARD IT.

[ Julian ]

I'M NOT AGAINS WISHFUL THINKING, NOT NOW.

[ Morgan ]

THEY PUSHED US TOO FAR.

THEY DIDN'T THINK WE'D FIGHT,

NO MATTER WHAT THEY DID.

AND THEY WERE WRONG.

WE FOUGHT. WE EXPUNGED THEM !

WE DIDN'T DO SUCH A BAD JOB

ON OURSELVES.

WITH THE INTERESTING RESUL THAT THE BACKGROUND LEVEL

OF RADIATION...

IN THIS ROOM IS NINE TIMES

WHAT IT WAS A YEAR AGO.

[ Holmes ]

JULIAN.

DON'T YOU KNOW THAT ?

NINE TIMES !

WE'RE ALL DOOMED, YOU KNOW.

THE WHOLE SILLY, DRUNKEN,

PATHETIC LOT OF US.

DOOMED BY THE AIR

WE'RE ABOUT TO BREATHE.

WE HAVEN' GOT A CHANCE !

STOP IT !

I WON'T HAVE IT, JULIAN !

I WON'T.

THERE IS HOPE.

THERE HAS TO BE HOPE.

THERE'S ALWAYS HOPE.

WE JUST CAN' GO ON LIKE THIS.

WE CAN'T.

WE-- WE--

[ Sobs ]

[ Door Closes ]

I SHOULDN'T DRINK,

YOU KNOW.

I INEVITABLY SAY

SOMETHING BRILLIANT.

SORRY.

[ Guests Chattering Softly ]

[ Puts Down Glass ]

[ Sobbing ]

[ Continues Sobbing ]

I--

I CAN'T HELP IT, PETER.

I'M SORRY.

I JUST CAN'T.

EVERYBODY'S GONE TO BED.

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