M Puzzle: Some Stars

by Matt Sakai

If you try to solve this cross-sum normally, it simply doesn't work (there are contradictions and ambiguities). Therefore, taking a clue from the flavortext (which makes reference to a Guest, namely Christopher Guest, who has played two characters that go up to eleven--Count Rugen in The Princess Bride and Nigel St. Hubbins in This is Spinal Tap), solve it in base eleven.

The solved grid appears below. After the grid is filled, sum up the numbers marked by stars; they sum to 107 base ten, or 98 base eleven. The answer is NINETY-EIGHT.

				25		6		13						9		14		7						16		16		24		4						5		24		23
			20	9*		3		A					8	2		5		1					22	7		5		9		3					16	1		9		7*
		24								13										25												21										7
	25	9		7		2		4		5			21	6		A		4		3*			29	A		4*		7		1		9			13	4		7		1		2
												23																						3
	10	7		3		1			10	3		7		1			8	2		6					17	8		A			4	3		1			20	A		8		4
																						6		45						41
	17	A		8					13	4		A							20	9		5		8					16	9		6		2					4	3		1
						9		24						9		35												14								13		11
					32	7		9		2		8		3		6			8	5		1		2			18	8		6		5			17	9		3		6
				15														13								13								18
			12	4		2		7					18	5		9		1		4			23	9		5		7		4			14	6		5*		4
		18								33												5										20								23		9
	13	8		6			17	A		8			8	1		5		2			10	2		3*		6			19	2		8		A			19	5		9		6
						14						11
	17	5		3		A			16	A		7			16	A		7*			9	3		5		1			8	1		4		3					5	3		2
																																						8
	8	2		1		5			3	2		1			11	8		4					3	1		2			17	8		A					11	6*		5		1
								13												45		23						10						28		23
	6	4*		2			7	2		1		4							23	8		A		7			8	3*		5			25	7		A		2		8
														39		11
							16	8		9			12	6		7			10	1		6*		4			17	8		A			8	1		7
				12		13																										8								16		14
			17	3		5		4*		6			7	2		5*			22	5		9		A							13	2		4		8			6	5		1
		21										23						28								23		15										8
	17	8		1		9					17	8		A			15	9		7						2		4			14	5		A			11	7		3		2*
										17												4		6
	16	A		7					11	4		7		1			13	7		4		3			14	9		6			4	1		3			7	1		2		4
						17																								22						12
	12	5		2		6			20	8		A*		4			7	4		2		1			19	8		3		9			7	5		2			13	6		8
								6								8								16														15
					10	4		1		6			29	7		5		A		9			17	3		6		1		8*					18	8		A		1
				27								14										15										8		17
			16	4		8		5			15	4		9		3			11	3		7		2			21	2		7		4		1		3		6
		9								17																														30		23
	10	1		A					11	8		1		3					23	A		9		6							6	1		5					15	6		A
						14										10		15								20				12								8
	23	6		9*		A			16	A		7			7	3		4					14	5		A			9	2		3		4			14	1		8		6
								4						14						4								17								13
	10	2		5		3		1			28	3		9		7		A		1			15	1		3		8		4			35	8		6		5		A*		9
			6	1		2		3					11	6		1		2*		3					24	9		A		7					18	8		2		9

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