The Smole: 35.18-A fatal blunder

Last episode,

Hykel: "Ever since Ryenn's execution, Douglas has been isolating himself even more. He says he's scared of hurting us but that's kind of laughable, don't you think?"

***

Monique: "I never knew how hard it is to remain professional until now. Sure, I've dealt with sleazebags before but I could handle them. It's just different when it's someone you've known for so long and are close to. It's impossible to ignore the fact that he likes me so it's become impossible to remain professional."

***

Douglas: "I want to help but this is beyond me. I don't understand any of this at all."

Monique: "Nobody does. It's essentially a guessing game."

Monique: "Everyone shared the answers they got but Morris was quite reluctant to. And this mission to me felt lacking. We can't have just been thrown a jumble of foreign words and be able to figure things out by ourselves."

***

Hykel: "Votre tante? I don't think my answer fits, does it?"

Douglas: "I don't think they're the same language."

Monique: "I don't think any of them are the same language. That will be too easy."

Douglas: "I've made some notes myself. My answer is some weird symbol but it looks too short for a long question like this."

***

Morris: "I don't understand a single word here but I agree with all of you."

***

Hykel: "I actually understand this. It's in Malay. It's asking about an award from the Oscars, 2017. About which film won 'Best Foreign Film Award'."

Morris: "It can't be the one in a clearly foreign slash alien language...or can it? The reverse reverse psychology is killing me."

***

Monique: "This is Russian."

Monique: "Or is it Greek?"

Monique: "No, Greek looks different. Maybe it's Croatian."

***

Douglas: "So this is Russian. I can't believe I'm learning new languages."

Monique: "This symbol is Russian."

Douglas: "But what does it mean?"

Morris: "I don't know but we only have one answer to go by anyway."

Hykel: "I agree. The answer to this must be Dhaka."

The group had 3/5 questions correct, thus earning 150/250 points in the previous mission to bring the pot to 600/1250 points. With no exemption offered, the only one feeling safe right now is the Mole. Who is it? And who will be the last victim?

***

Monique: "Morris, there is something urgent I need to talk to you about."

Morris: "What is it?"

Monique: "The business is facing a crisis. They need us back."

Morris: "Us? I'm not part of your business."

Monique: "Yes, but I can't just leave you here alone, can I?"

Morris: "We were fully ready for that fact the moment we joined."

Monique: "We should both go back."

Morris: "I can't."

Monique: "Why not?"

Morris: "I have a game to play. I'm not leaving. Not at this juncture. You can leave if you want to but not me."

Monique: "But this is serious. This is work. Our lives after the Smole."

Morris: "The thing is, I have a contract with the producers."

Monique: "Contract? With the producers? Why didn't you tell me anything about this? I need to read through that contract."

Morris: "I can't disclose any more than that. I'm sorry but I can't go back."

Monique: "Contract...with the producers! Don't tell me..."

Monique: "It turns out that all this while I've never been professional. I wasn't objective. If I was, I wouldn't have trusted Morris and not considered him until now. He has become very suspicious in the last mission and I'm not sure why I only noticed it now. I don't know if he was trying to hint something to me so that I could win. He knows I don't like things like that. But I need to really relook everything. This is a fatal blunder."

Hykel: "I need to work it all off."

Hykel: "This is it. This quiz could make or break just as much as the final quiz would. Oh boy. Hoo."

***

Douglas: "I'm scared."

Douglas: "Should I quit? I can't win no matter what anyway and I'm worried that the longer I stay, the more I turn into him."

Monique: "Are you mumbling to yourself?"

Douglas: "Er...yeah...I mean, er...yeah."

Monique: "I heard you talking about not being like someone."

Douglas: "You did? Promise to keep this a secret, please."

Monique: "I'll see. Who do you not want to be like?"

Douglas: "My parents. They would always hit me with his hand. Even if I didn't do anything wrong."

Douglas: "I'm scared. I couldn't control myself and I tried to hit Ryenn. And I couldn't explain things to her before she left."

Monique: "I can tell you right now that you are not like your parents."

Monique: "At least you feel guilty. That shows you have a conscience. You're fighting hard not to end up like them. So that's where the distinction lies. You don't have to worry so much."

Douglas: "I guess you make sense. But you promise you won't tell anybody about my past, right?"

Monique: "Since when?"

Douglas: "Oh no...there really is nobody you can trust in this house."

***

Time for the quiz.

Q1: Is the Mole male or female?

A: Male

B: Female

Q2: Who sleeps in the same room as the Mole?

A: Morris Delven

B: Monique Plaita

C: Douglas Chip

D: Hykel Asrulfi

Q3: Before Mission 9, what did the Mole wear?

A: Sleepwear

B: Everyday wear

Q4: In Mission 9, what language was the answer given to the Mole in?

A: French

B: Esperanto

C: Thai

D: Italian

Q5: What was the answer given to the Mole in Mission 9?

A: La Vendisto

B: Duodeno, jejunum, ileo

C: Votre tante

D: สิบ

Q6: How many times did the Mole stand in front of a whiteboard in Mission 9?

A: 0

B: 1

C: 3

Q7: In Mission 9, what colour whiteboard did the Mole stand in front of?

A: White

B: Green

C: Yellow

D: The Mole did not stand in front of a whiteboard

Q8: In Mission 9, what was the language of the question Mole's answer answered?

A: Japanese

B: Dutch

C: Malay

D: Finnish

Q9: Translate the question that goes with the Mole's answer in Mission 9.

A: What are the parts of the small intestine?

B: Which film won "Best Foreign Film" in the 2017 Oscars?

C: How many line judges are there in badminton?

D: What is your father's sister called?

Q10: Who is the Mole?

A: Monique Plaita

B: Morris Delven

C: Hykel Asrulfi

D: Douglas Chip

***

"Welcome to your final execution ceremony. It is commendable that the four of you have made it so far, but one of you will miss out on that final stretch. Who will it be?"

"Hykel Asrulfi?"

Hykel: "That leaves me with so much uncertainty. There's a one in three chance of me leaving."

"Douglas Chip."

Douglas: "I thought it was one in four but now that Hykel is safe it is one in three...or is it two in four?"

"Monique Plaita, Morris Delven, you have just seen two green screens, neither of which are yours. That implies that one of you will be joining the finale with Hykel and Douglas while the other one will be the last victim of the season."

"Monique Plaita."

Monique: "I think I've finally gotten it right. It was a calculated risk I took."

"Unfortunately, you are the last to be executed. Please pack your bags and leave."

Morris: "No way. I made it in!"

Morris: "But I'm sorry you didn't make it to the end with me. We've been together for so long, I just know it'll feel empty without you by my side."

Monique: "You're a very good actor, Morris. That's all I can say."

Monique: "I won't make any excuses for myself. I just want to congratulate these three gentlemen here. I had a bad feeling when I made it to the final four despite not having a clear suspect. It is a shame, yes, but there is nothing I can do about it. I just hope that Morris can take care of himself and not get into trouble in the period that I won't be around to protect him. And Morris, the business is fine. I lied, to test you."

"Thank you for joining the Smole, Monique. We hope to see you soon."

Morris: "No way! She lied to me about the business? But why?"

Morris: "I can't believe she's gone now. I can only hope I won't disappoint her by winning this game."

"Hykel Asrulfi, Douglas Chip, Morris Delven, you three have made it to the finale! Congratulations! Right in front of you is either the winner, the runner-up or the Mole. And very soon, we will know who assumes which role."

The business-savvy Monique has been executed, much to Morris's dismay. Which of the three men is the Mole? And which one will win?

***

Next episode,

Hykel: "This is an unlikely cast of finalists. There's a 40-year-old man, a Bridgeporter with the X-factor and a dimwitted boy in the mix. But that's how the game goes. It's full of surprises."

Morris: "I feel so bad for doubting Monique now. And she must have started doubting me. I planted those ideas in her mind. I caused her execution. It turns out that I was wrong about her all this while. So who is the Mole?"

***

Morris: "My, what a spread today."

Hykel: "Indeed. It's amazing. I still can't believe that I made it. I'm just an average taxi driver in a backwards, messed up country. And I'm here, with you guys."

Douglas: "I get this feeling that it's a practical joke and that I...er...may become the stupid one who gets it all wrong."

Hykel: "I have that worry too. But we shouldn't think so much about it. We did make it here, after all."

***