INT. JOHN HAY AND JOHN NICOLAY'S BEDROOM - EVEN LATER
The room is spare and neat. Nicolay and Hay are asleep in their beds.
Lincoln is sitting at the foot of Hay's bed, spectacles on, reading a petition, the others in his lap, pencil in hand.
LINCOLN
Now, here's a sixteen year old boy. They're going to hang him...
Hay startles awake, then settles. He's used to this.
LINCOLN (CONT'D)
(he reads a little FURTHER:) He was with the 15th Indiana Calvary near Beaufort, seems he lamed his horse to avoid battle. I don't think even Stanton would complain if I pardoned him? You think Stanton would complain?
Nicolay stirs in the next bed.
JOHN HAY
Ummm... I don't know, sir, I don't know who you're, uh... What time is it?
LINCOLN
It's three forty in the morning.
JOHN NICOLAY
(not waking up:) Don't... let him pardon any more deserters...
Nicolay's asleep again.
JOHN HAY
Mr. Stanton thinks you pardon too many. He's generally apoplectic on the subject -
LINCOLN
He oughtn't to have done that, crippled his horse, that was cruel, but you don't just hang a sixteen year old boy for that -
JOHN HAY
Ask the horse what he thinks.
LINCOLN
for cruelty. There'd be no sixteen year old boys left. (a beat, then:) Grant wants me to bring the secesh delegates to Washington.
JOHN HAYSo... There are secesh delegates?
LINCOLN(scribbling a note, signing the petition:) He was afraid, that's all it was. I don't care to hang a boy for being frightened, either. What good would it do him?
He signs the pardon. Then he gives Hay's leg a few hard thwacks and a squeeze. It hurts a little. Hay winces. 74.
LINCOLN (CONT'D)
War's nearly done. Ain't that so? What use one more corpse? Any more corpses?
Putting the rest of the petitions on Hay's bed, he stands to leave.
JOHN HAY
Do you need company?