Perhaps. I suppose I should give humanity the benefit of the doubt - hope is supposed to spring eternal, after all, though the reservoir must get quite low at times.

[finally captures a pawn!] It would make sense, if 'cease to exist' didn't mean 'come back in a day or so perfectly fine' in this town. When you take away the permanence of death, it's really nothing more than a long, maybe somewhat messy nap.