People
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.
— Neil Gaiman • Neverwhere
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
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