When God Laughs Page #4

"When God Laughs" is a collection of short stories by Jack London, published in 1911. The anthology showcases London's mastery of narrative and his keen observations of human nature and the natural world. The stories explore themes of survival, fate, and the often harsh realities of life, reflecting London's own experiences and philosophical beliefs. From the struggles of individuals facing adversity to the capriciousness of fortune, these tales encapsulate the author's distinctive style and ability to weave rich, evocative tales that resonate with readers.

• Novel

								

for the first time in each other's eyes.

"The gods may not be kind, but they are often merciful. They had twirled
the little ivory ball and swept the stakes from the table. All that
remained was the man and woman gazing into each other's cold eyes.
And then he died. That was the mercy. Within the week Marvin Fiske was
dead--you remember the accident. And in her diary, written at this time,
I long afterward read Mitchell Kennerly's:--

     "'There was not a single hour
       We might have kissed and did not kiss.'"

"Oh, the irony of it!" I cried out.

And Carquinez, in the firelight a veritable Mephistopheles in velvet
jacket, fixed me with his black eyes.

"And they won, you said? The world's judgment! I have told you, and I
know. They won as you are winning, here in your hills."

"But you," I demanded hotly; "you with your orgies of sound and sense,
with your mad cities and madder frolics--bethink you that you win?"

He shook his head slowly. "Because you with your sober bucolic regime,
lose, is no reason that I should win. We never win. Sometimes we think
we win. That is a little pleasantry of the gods."
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