Gerald's last chance. A flash story.

Everything had been so right, so well planned. Right breeding, right school, right University and then……

Where had it all gone.

The family business, the inheritance, and now this - this opportunity, after so many failures, surely this one must be a winner?

Jumping up from the chair, he strides to the window and looks at the familiar view.

This is his big chance. 

If it doesn't go to plan, then even that which he holds most dear will be lost. There will be only one way out.

Surely this is an opportunity not to be missed, and yet – if……

Don't even think about it.

He who dares, wins.

There must be a way to decide, to make success absolutely certain.

He goes to his father’s library, and straightaway finds the book. It is a translation of the I Ching.

“This must be an omen” he thinks. “Out of all the thousands of books here, my hand goes straight to it!”

He concentrates his mind on the decision he has to make. Plunging his hand into his pocket. He finds four coins. 

Another stroke of luck. He tosses the coins and reads the Oracle: 

"He sees union and attachment without taking the first step. There is no possibility of good issue"

What the hell was that?

He convinces himself that he has missread the coins.

He tosses them again, and out of 64 verses the same one comes up. 

There must be something wrong here, he thinks. Throwing the coins yet again, they come up with exactly the same hexagram. 

Desperately he throws the coins yet again.

This time the result is different.

Quickly he reads the verse:

"He who doubts the master is condemned to repeat past failures”