Survivor: China's Friday Morning Quarterback – The Doomed Spy

Hostile armies may face each other for years, striving for the victory which is decided in a single day. This being so, to remain in ignorance of the enemy's condition simply because one grudges the outlay is the height of inhumanity. One who acts thus is no leader of men, no present help to his sovereign, no master of victory. Peih-Gee was the lone remaining outsider. She was the lone force to be dealt with before the alliance must turn on itself. So, should she have been simply left to her fate without regard? No.

What enables the wise sovereign and the good general to strike and conquer and achieve things beyond the reach of ordinary men is foreknowledge. This foreknowledge cannot be elicited from spirits; it cannot be obtained inductively from experience, nor by any deductive calculation. Knowledge of the enemy's dispositions can only be obtained from other men. Denise chose to keep Todd close to her, to prevent him from using the valuable resource of time spent alone with the doomed spy. And what did she witness? Courtney and Todd delighted in the planning stages of treachery of their own, charting the course to remove Amanda from the game. Denise realized she could not trust these two.

Amanda used her opportunity to learn much from Peih-Gee about her true nature, and in doing so, was able to reflect on Todd's true nature as well. Realizing that perhaps she should have made inroads with Peih-Gee sooner, she still took steps to get her favor now. This move would do her well should Peih-Gee later hold her fate on the jury. However, for as much argument as Peih-Gee made on who was deserving and who was not, her continued argument allowed both Amanda and Denise to come to the same inevitable conclusion.

When faced with two enemies, one must keep the worst of the pair alive longer. Slaying the biggest dragon evokes celebration and malaise. When conditions are horrid, one is thrilled when they suddenly become merely inconvenient. To keep one's army focused on a common enemy, a common goal, it is essential for a general to rid the minor threats first lest they rise to fill the void left by removal of the biggest villain, one whose removal will likely cause your army to disband from relief.

In other words, dear reader, Todd, by being an incorrigible pest, has preserved his own life. Without a smeared reputation to shine next to, both Denise and Amanda realized that their own smudges would be far more easily visible. They both know that in the end, one of them will suffer the same fate as Peih-Gee. Inevitably, one will have to best the other, as the surest path to individual glory lies in the support of their greatest nemesis, until the time of judgment comes to pass.

Therefore, all that remains is for Denise and Amanda to prove their merit in the competitive battle that remains. Todd is meaningless. Courtney, too weak to be relevant. Only one of these two can survive, and both realized that only in the support of Todd could either set foot on the path to victory. Taking Peih-Gee to the end would surely spell victory for the underdog. A mere look at the faces of the jury proved as much.

Todd has done his part brilliantly, reminding all of the thorn he has become, the thorn he has consistently been. If his final competition cannot put words to this, he may be able to hoodwink them all. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that he, too, remains not in ignorance of the enemy's condition. He must glean which of the trio who remain is least aware of his true nature. Whichever can hold their tongue the longest (until such time as the questioner man demands such words be spoken) of Amanda and Denise will be his choice, and the most likely victor.

Such was the lesson of the doomed spy, Peih-Gee.

Until then, I diminish and remain, Sun Tzu.

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out these other recent Survivor: China articles here on RealityNewsOnline:

When not speaking on behalf of long-dead Chinese philosophers, AJ Mass writes about fantasy sports for ESPN.com. You may reach him at ajmass@verizon.net.

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