Do.

Politicians like to panic. 

They need Activity; 

it's their substitute 

for Achievement.

ROMANA: 

The clipboard marks the spot. 

I'll stand guard.

(The Doctor climbs through 

the hole and up a ladder. 

When he's out of sight, Romana 

enters and heads for a staircase. 

The Doctor reaches the top of the ladder.)

RORVIK: 

Is this what you're looking for, Doctor?

(Rorvik drops the clipboard.)

Tom : 

Look here, Rorvik. 

You've got to stop this back-blast. 

You'll kill us all.

RORVIK: 

So you say, Doctor. 

I say it's the only 

way out of here.

(Rorvik stands on the Doctor's fingers.)

Tom : 

You can't blast through those mirrors. 

You must realise by now it just 

throws the energy straight back.

RORVIK: 

They've got to break. 

Everything breaks eventually.

(He kicks the Doctor back down the ladder, 

comes after him and starts 

to strangle him with his own scarf. 

Romana arrives and tries 

hitting Rorvik with the clipboard.)

Tom : 

Never mind the clipboard, 

short the cables.

(The Doctor gives Romana the manacles.)

Tom : 

Drain the main power line. 

Earth it to The Ladder.

ROMANA: 

I know. I've done it.

(Rorvik lets The Doctor go and heads 

for the ladder to undo the damage.)

Tom : 

Biroc? What are 

you doing here?

BIROC: 

Nothing.

Tom : 

It's all right for you.

BIROC: 

And for You, Too : 

Do Nothing.

Tom : 

Do Nothing?

ROMANA: 

Of course, Doctor. 

Don't you see?

Tom: 

Yes, that's right. 

Do Nothing.

....if it's the right 

sort of Nothing.

(They join hands with Biroc and fade away. 

Rorvik has removed the manacles 

from the cable.)

RORVIK: 

Run, Doctor. Scurry off 

back to your blue box. 

You're like all the rest. 

Lizards when there's 

a man's work to be done. 

I'm sick of your kind. 

Faint-hearted, do-nothing, 

lily-livered deadweights. 

This is The End for all of you! 

I'm finally getting 

something done! 

Bwahahahaha!

MacDonald :

No. Watch.

Do.

No, no, no. 

Clean. Clean.

The Governor :

It seems the little fella's

not so bright after all.

MacDonald :

No. But brightness has never

been encouraged amongst slaves.

The Governor :

Oh, don't be so touchy, Mr MacDonald.

All of us were slaves once,

in one sense of the word or another.

Kolp :

If you feel the ape's unsatisfactory,

we can have him reconditioned.

MacDonald :

That isn't necessary.

The Governor :

You're quite right, Mr MacDonald.

But not for any of your 

bleeding-heart reasons.

Reconditioning. That's all

any of you ever think of, isn't it?

Don't you realise, if we were to take

every ape who disobeyed an order

and sent him back for reconditioning, 

Ape Management would become overcrowded.

Kolp :

It's the only thing that has any effect.

MacDonald :

Just makes them worse.

The Governor :

Some of them couldn't be worse.

I've been having a comprehensive list compiled.

Who Wants to Live Forever?

BARTLET

I really did wake up energized this morning.

LEO

I know.

BARTLET

I never go to bed that way.

LEO

I know.

BARTLET

Just once, in this job, I’d like to end a day feeling as good as I did when the day started. 

[pause] 

Are you bothered by this?

LEO

The memo?

BARTLET

Yeah.

LEO

Yes.

BARTLET

We’ve heard it all before, Leo. 

You drive me to political safe ground. 

It’s not true.

LEO

I know it’s not true.

BARTLET

Good. [heads for his desk]

LEO

You drive me there.

BARTLET

[turns] 

What the hell did you say?

LEO

And you know it too.

BARTLET

Leo?

LEO

We’re stuck in neutral because that’s where you tell me to stay.

BARTLET

You’re wrong.

LEO

No. I’m not, sir.

BARTLET

You want to do this now?

LEO

Sir?

BARTLET

You came to my house, Leo.

LEO

Mr. President?

BARTLET

You came to my house, and you said, “Jed, let’s run for President.” 

I said, “Why?” 

And you said, “So that you can open your mouth and say what you think!” 

Where’d that  part go, Leo?

LEO

You tell me, Mr. President. I don’t see a shortage of cameras or microphones around  here. 

What the hell were you waiting for?

BARTLET

Look...

LEO

Everything you do...

BARTLET

This morning-

LEO

Everything you do says: 

“For God’s sakes, Leo. I don’t want to be a one-term President.”

BARTLET

Did I not say put our guys on the F.E.C.?

LEO

No sir. You did not do that.

BARTLET

Leo!

LEO

You said -- No! 

You said, "Let’s dangle our feet in the water of whatever the hell it is we dangle our feet in, when we want to make it look like we’re trying without pissing  too many people off!"

BARTLET

You’re writing a fascinating version of history, my friend.

LEO

Oh, take a look at Mandy’s memo, Mr. President, and you’ll read a fascinating version of it.

BARTLET

You brought me in on teachers. 

You brought me in on capital gains. 

You brought me in on China. 

And you brought me in on guns.

LEO

Brought you in from where?  

You’ve never been out there on guns.

You’ve never been out there on teachers. 

You dangle your feet, and I’m the hall monitor around here.

It’s my job to make sure nobody runs too fast or goes off too far.

I tell Josh to go to the Hill  on campaign finance, he knows nothing’s gonna come out of it.

BARTLET

That’s crap.

LEO

Sam can’t get real on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell because you’re not gonna be there, and every guy sitting across the room from him knows that.

BARTLET

Leo, if I ever told you to get aggressive about campaign finance or gays in the military, you would tell me, “Don’t run too fast or go to far.”

LEO

If you ever told me to get aggressive about anything, I’d say I serve at the pleasure of the President. 

[pause]

But we’ll never know, sir, because I don’t think you’re ever gonna say it.

BARTLET

I have said it, and nothing’s every happened!

LEO

You want to see me orchestrate this right now? 

You want to see me mobilize these people? 

These people who would walk into fire if you told them to. 

These people who showed up to lead. 

These people who showed up to fight.

[points at Charlie]

That guy gets death threats because he’s black and he dates your daughter. 

He was warned: “Do not show up to this place. You’re life will be in danger.” 

He said, “To hell with that, I’m going anyway.” 

You said, “No.” 

Prudent, or not prudent, this 21 year old for 600 dollars a week says,

  

“I’m going where I want to because a man stands up.”

[pause]

Everyone’s waiting for you. I don’t know how much longer.

BARTLET

I don’t want to feel like this anymore.

LEO

You don’t have to.

BARTLET

I don’t want to go to sleep like this.

LEO

You don’t have to.

BARTLET

I want to speak.

LEO

Say it out loud. Say it to me.

BARTLET

This is more important than reelection. I want to speak now.

LEO

Say it again.

BARTLET

This is more important than reelection. I want to speak now.

LEO

Now we’re in business!

Leo goes to the table and picks up a pen and writes on a pad.

BARTLET

What’s happening?

LEO

We got our asses kicked in the first quarter, and it’s time we move up the mat. 

BARTLET

Yes!

LEO

Say it.

BARTLET

This is more important than reelection. 

I want to speak now.

LEO

[while writing] I’m gonna talk to the staff. I’m gonna take them off the leash.

BARTLET

You have a strategy for all this?

LEO

I have the beginnings of one.

BARTLET

What is it?

LEO

I’m gonna try that out for a little while.

Leo puts the pad on the desk in front of the President. It reads, “LET BARTLET BE BARTLET.” 

The President looks at it and back to Leo as his chief of staff goes back into--

LEO’S OFFICE. The staff are still inside. Leo takes off his jacket and leans on his desk.

LEO

Listen up. Our ground game isn’t working. If we want to walk into walls, I’d want us running into them full speed.

JOSH

What are you saying?

LEO

Well, you can start by telling the Hill the President has named his nominees for the F.E.C.

Josh looks surprised.

LEO

And we’re gonna lose some of these battles, and we might even lose the White House, but we’re not gonna be threatened by issues. 

We’re gonna put them front and center. 

We’re gonna raise the level of public debate in this country, and let that be our legacy.

[turns to Josh] 

That sound all right to you, Josh?

JOSH

I serve at the pleasure of the President of the United States.

LEO

[to C.J.] Yeah?

C.J.

I serve at the pleasure of the President.

Leo turns to Sam.

SAM

I serve at the pleasure of President Bartlet.

LEO

Toby?

TOBY

I serve at the pleasure of the President.

Everyone turns their frowns into big smiles.

LEO

Good.

Leo turns to his desk and gets a clipboard. He turns back to his staff.

LEO

Then let’s get in the game!

Toby, Sam, Josh and C.J. exit. Leo walks to a table to get a pen. He looks at the open  door to the Oval Office. He sees Bartlet, who has been standing there watching. 

Bartlet nods at him. Leo smiles back before Bartlet walks back to his desk.

DISSOLVE TO: END TITLES.

FADE TO BLACK.

THE END