Richard had noticed that events were cowards: they didn’t occur singly, but instead they would run in packs and leap out at him all at once.

Events, in this picture, are cowards: they hold back, then attack together. It's a funny way of describing how troubles or surprises tend to arrive in bunches instead of politely one at a time, leaving the person on the receiving end overwhelmed.

Context reviewed 20 September 2026