Alias can’t decide whose shoes to step into, so he grasps the opportunity to go ‘a la natural’, walking barefoot. He soon realizes that feet don’t stink when you walk barefoot unless you step into something like dog poo.
Not having to impersonate any ‘shoe wearing’ character, he walks the earth ‘footloose and fancy free’. His mind switched on neutral, he explores the world without pre-mediated thought. Strolling through the streets, the varying textures of concrete, bitumen and cobble stone stimulate a new experience for his senses, when he eyes a game of ‘street chess’ in action, played by a scruffy looking ‘Wino’ and a clean- cut businessman in good spirit of equality. The chess board however paints a different picture.
Soldiers are heavily restricted in their movements and easily sacrificed. Nobles and horses are more precious and valuable due to their inherited rights of movement so is the queen, but they may all be killed. The king however does ‘fuck all’ except for a few sidekicks. He can’t be killed, only cornered, which signifies the end of the game.
This doesn’t sit right with Alias’s neutral mind. He realizes that the ancient game of chess is still being played worldwide in a ‘real life setting’ and he ponders: why don’t we target the leaders right from the beginning of the conflict, as we did in times gone by, when the courageous king led the army into battle and was the prime target?