I think the Gift kept Gen alive because he wasn't stealing it for himself, as others have said.
However, I also think that every action the gods take is always open to skepticism. It's clear that a lot of people in Gen's world don't believe in the gods -- so everything they do can look like coincidence to those who haven't come face to face with them. I think it's deliberately left to the reader to decide whether the Gift saved Gen, whether the gods saved him without the use of the Gift, or whether he was just amazingly lucky that that sword didn't kill him.
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Date: 2/27/09 04:17 pm (UTC)However, I also think that every action the gods take is always open to skepticism. It's clear that a lot of people in Gen's world don't believe in the gods -- so everything they do can look like coincidence to those who haven't come face to face with them. I think it's deliberately left to the reader to decide whether the Gift saved Gen, whether the gods saved him without the use of the Gift, or whether he was just amazingly lucky that that sword didn't kill him.