Behind the Mask
by Kegler

Ten entries must be modified before entry into the diagram, as suggested by 28 Across.

Across 1 Bids for hit-men? 5 Certain soldier wears flower droopily 11 Left NY, traveling for horse's protection (2 wds) 12 Polite response to the French's terrible crime 14 Flexible headless worm in myth 16 Aware of 1) having no tail and 2) having no heart 17 Ultimately departed backwater county having no alcohol 18 Ian returns and spots female swimmers 19 Actor Conway's time cut short 20 Tiny cavity in a car is disguised (2 wds) 21 Outskirts of macabre South American land formation 24 One who figures out forest animal is eating fish 25 Indiana hoopsters' exciting recaps 26 Mostly protect inlet 27 State one version briefly 28 See instructions 30 Musical group starting to tour Brazilian city 31 Wear out wheel covering 32 Going back to the woman's remaining ones 36 Notices flaws when “false” becomes “true” 39 Angers collection agency around end of June 41 Actress Shirley's house of worship 43 Put on act the first of November 45 Ravel's loud “Sunbeam” 46 Crude fight rejected 47 Leader of inmates surprisingly not digging 48 Hint provided by blueprint; I'm a technician 49 Reportedly elude Arab leader 50 More angry describing neighbors, primarily one who's noisy in bed? 51 Nobility of Nana with rude stranger 52 Material backing second way out

Down 1 Ring poor Daffy when nothing goes right? (2 wds) 2 Frolicking foal ingests red vegetation 3 Together, struggling seamen grabbing tip of sail (2 wds) 4 Limit a Spanish queen 5 Interface with sloths; lie around outside 6 Joins doctors catching train 7 Serpent's awful gifts 8 Item found on a desktop is foreign coin 9 Desire overwhelms heart of doting musician 10 You once disturbed Norma, essentially defying British cavalry 13 Bury rival on Wednesday in Q&A session 15 You scan this poem after grouchy one returns (2 wds) 21 Team cooked entree, perhaps 22 Calls attention to one hundred pennies 23 Made more attractive and amazingly fit, per diet 26 Critic upset about University league 28 Con game surrounding core of World Series 29 Bucks for flower discussed 33 Indulge group from Oahu, moreover 34 Shares notes about deceased 35 Laundry worker's phony Renoir 37 Pull even with red level 38 Witnesses describing Western pipes 40 Golfer Els' birdie? 42 Watching, for example, Yang's counterpart inside 44 Kennedy is one who pays for sex

Solution