\"Whatdoesitmean?\"hesaid。\"Whatdothesethingsmean?\"
Istaredathimandmadenoanswer。
Heextendedathinwhitehandandspokeinalmostacomplainingtone。
\"Whyarethesethingspermitted?Whatsinshavewedone?Themorningservicewasover,Iwaswalkingthroughtheroadstoclearmybrainfortheafternoon,andthen——fire,earthquake,death!AsifitwereSodomandGomorrah!Allourworkundone,allthework————WhataretheseMar-tians?\"
\"Whatarewe?\"Ianswered,clearingmythroat。
Hegrippedhiskneesandturnedtolookatmeagain。Forhalfaminute,perhaps,hestaredsilently。
\"Iwaswalkingthroughtheroadstoclearmybrain,\"hesaid。\"Andsuddenly——fire,earthquake,death!\"
Herelapsedintosilence,withhischinnowsunkenalmosttohisknees。
Presentlyhebeganwavinghishand。
\"Allthework——alltheSundayschools————Whathavewedone——whathasWeybridgedone?Everythinggone——every-thingdestroyed。Thechurch!Werebuiltitonlythreeyearsago。Gone!Sweptoutofexistence!Why?\"
Anotherpause,andhebrokeoutagainlikeonede-mented。
\"Thesmokeofherburninggoethupforeverandever!\"heshouted。
Hiseyesflamed,andhepointedaleanfingerinthedirec-tionofWeybridge。
BythistimeIwasbeginningtotakehismeasure。Thetremendoustragedyinwhichhehadbeeninvolved——itwasevidenthewasafugitivefromWeybridge——haddrivenhimtotheveryvergeofhisreason。
\"ArewefarfromSunbury?\"Isaid,inamatter-of-facttone。
\"Whatarewetodo?\"heasked。\"Arethesecreaturesevery-where?Hastheearthbeengivenovertothem?\"
\"ArewefarfromSunbury?\"
\"OnlythismorningIofficiatedatearlycelebration————\"
\"Thingshavechanged,\"Isaid,quietly。\"Youmustkeepyourhead。Thereisstillhope。\"
\"Hope!\"
\"Yes。Plentifulhope——forallthisdestruction!\"
Ibegantoexplainmyviewofourposition。Helistenedatfirst,butasIwentontheinterestdawninginhiseyesgaveplacetotheirformerstare,andhisregardwanderedfromme。
\"Thismustbethebeginningoftheend,\"hesaid,inter-ruptingme。
\"Theend!ThegreatandterribledayoftheLord!Whenmenshallcalluponthemountainsandtherockstofalluponthemandhidethem——hidethemfromthefaceofHimthatsittethuponthethrone!\"
Ibegantounderstandtheposition。Iceasedmylabouredreasoning,struggledtomyfeet,and,standingoverhim,laidmyhandonhisshoulder。
\"Beaman!\"saidI。\"Youarescaredoutofyourwits!Whatgoodisreligionifitcollapsesundercalamity?Thinkofwhatearthquakesandfloods,warsandvolcanoes,havedonebeforetomen!DidyouthinkGodhadexemptedWeybridge?Heisnotaninsuranceagent。\"
Foratimehesatinblanksilence。
\"Buthowcanweescape?\"heasked,suddenly。\"Theyareinvulnerable,theyarepitiless。\"
\"Neithertheonenor,perhaps,theother,\"Ianswered。\"Andthemightiertheyarethemoresaneandwaryshouldwebe。Oneofthemwaskilledyondernotthreehoursago。\"
\"Killed!\"hesaid,staringabouthim。\"HowcanGod\'smin-istersbekilled?\"
\"Isawithappen。\"Iproceededtotellhim。\"Wehavechancedtocomeinforthethickofit,\"saidI,\"andthatisall。\"
\"Whatisthatflickerinthesky?\"heaskedabruptly。
Itoldhimitwastheheliographsignalling——thatitwasthesignofhumanhelpandeffortinthesky。
\"Weareinthemidstofit,\"Isaid,\"quietasitis。Thatflickerintheskytellsofthegatheringstorm。Yonder,ItakeitaretheMartians,andLondonward,wherethosehillsriseaboutRichmondandKingstonandthetreesgivecover,earth-worksarebeingthrownupandgunsarebeingplaced。Pres-entlytheMartianswillbecomingthiswayagain。\"
AndevenasIspokehesprangtohisfeetandstoppedmebyagesture。
\"Listen!\"hesaid。
Frombeyondthelowhillsacrossthewatercamethedullresonanceofdistantgunsandaremoteweirdcrying。Theneverythingwasstill。Acockchafercamedroningoverthehedgeandpastus。HighinthewestthecrescentmoonhungfaintandpaleabovethesmokeofWeybridgeandShepper-tonandthehot,stillsplendourofthesunset。
\"Wehadbetterfollowthispath,\"Isaid,\"northward。\"
TheWaroftheWorlds-Book1-Chapter14Chapter14-InLondonMyyoungerbrotherwasinLondonwhentheMartiansfellatWoking。Hewasamedicalstudentworkingforanimminentexamination,andheheardnothingofthearrivaluntilSaturdaymorning。ThemorningpapersonSaturdaycontained,inadditiontolengthyspecialarticlesontheplanetMars,onlifeintheplanets,andsoforth,abriefandvaguelywordedtelegram,allthemorestrikingforitsbrevity。
TheMartians,alarmedbytheapproachofacrowd,hadkilledanumberofpeoplewithaquick-firinggun,sothestoryran。Thetelegramconcludedwiththewords:\"Formi-dableastheyseemtobe,theMartianshavenotmovedfromthepitintowhichtheyhavefallen,and,indeed,seemincapa-
bleofdoingso。Probablythisisduetotherelativestrengthoftheearth\'sgravitationalenergy。\"Onthatlasttexttheirleader-writerexpandedverycomfortingly。
Ofcourseallthestudentsinthecrammer\'sbiologyclass,towhichmybrotherwentthatday,wereintenselyinterested,buttherewerenosignsofanyunusualexcitementinthestreets。Theafternoonpaperspuffedscrapsofnewsunderbigheadlines。Theyhadnothingtotellbeyondthemovementsoftroopsaboutthecommon,andtheburningofthepinewoodsbetweenWokingandWeybridge,untileight。ThentheST。JAMES\'SGAZETTE,inanextra-specialedition,announcedthebarefactoftheinterruptionoftelegraphiccommunica-tion。Thiswasthoughttobeduetothefallingofburningpinetreesacrosstheline。Nothingmoreofthefightingwasknownthatnight,thenightofmydrivetoLeatherheadandback。
Mybrotherfeltnoanxietyaboutus,asheknewfromthedescriptioninthepapersthatthecylinderwasagoodtwomilesfrommyhouse。Hemadeuphismindtorundownthatnighttome,inorder,ashesays,toseetheThingsbeforetheywerekilled。Hedespatchedatelegram,whichneverreachedme,aboutfouro\'clock,andspenttheeveningatamusichall。
InLondon,also,onSaturdaynighttherewasathunder-storm,andmybrotherreachedWaterlooinacab。Ontheplatformfromwhichthemidnighttrainusuallystartshelearned,aftersomewaiting,thatanaccidentpreventedtrainsfromreachingWokingthatnight。Thenatureoftheaccidenthecouldnotascertain;indeed,therailwayauthoritiesdidnotclearlyknowatthattime。Therewasverylittleexcitementinthestation,astheofficials,failingtorealisethatanythingfurtherthanabreakdownbetweenByfleetandWokingjunctionhadoccurred,wererunningthetheatretrainswhichusuallypassedthroughWokingroundbyVirginiaWaterorGuildford。Theywerebusymakingthenecessaryarrange-mentstoaltertherouteoftheSouthamptonandPortsmouthSundayLeagueexcursions。Anocturnalnewspaperreporter,mistakingmybrotherforthetrafficmanager,towhomhebearsaslightresemblance,waylaidandtriedtointerviewhim。Fewpeople,exceptingtherailwayofficials,connectedthebreakdownwiththeMartians。
Ihaveread,inanotheraccountoftheseevents,thatonSundaymorning\"allLondonwaselectrifiedbythenewsfromWoking。\"Asamatteroffact,therewasnothingtojustifythatveryextravagantphrase。PlentyofLondonersdidnothearoftheMartiansuntilthepanicofMondaymorn-ing。ThosewhodidtooksometimetorealiseallthatthehastilywordedtelegramsintheSundaypapersconveyed。ThemajorityofpeopleinLondondonotreadSundaypapers。
Thehabitofpersonalsecurity,moreover,issodeeplyfixedintheLondoner\'smind,andstartlingintelligencesomuchamatterofcourseinthepapers,thattheycouldreadwithoutanypersonaltremors:\"Aboutseveno\'clocklastnighttheMartianscameoutofthecylinder,and,movingaboutunderanarmourofmetallicshields,havecompletelywreckedWokingstationwiththeadjacenthouses,andmassacredanentirebattalionoftheCardiganRegiment。Nodetailsareknown。Maximshavebeenabsolutelyuselessagainsttheirarmour;thefieldgunshavebeendisabledbythem。
FlyinghussarshavebeengallopingintoChertsey。TheMartiansappeartobemovingslowlytowardsChertseyorWindsor。GreatanxietyprevailsinWestSurrey,andearthworksarebeingthrownuptochecktheadvanceLondonward。\"
ThatwashowtheSundaySUNputit,andacleverandremarkablyprompt\"handbook\"articleintheREFEREEcomparedtheaffairtoamenageriesuddenlyletlooseinavillage。
NooneinLondonknewpositivelyofthenatureofthearmouredMartians,andtherewasstillafixedideathatthesemonstersmustbesluggish:
\"crawling,\"\"creepingpainfully\"——suchexpressionsoccurredinalmostalltheearlierreports。Noneofthetelegramscouldhavebeenwrittenbyaneye-witnessoftheiradvance。TheSundaypapersprintedseparateeditionsasfurthernewscametohand,someevenindefaultofit。Buttherewaspracticallynothingmoretotellpeopleuntillateintheafternoon,whentheauthoritiesgavethepressagenciesthenewsintheirpossession。
ItwasstatedthatthepeopleofWaltonandWeybridge,andallthedistrictwerepouringalongtheroadsLondonward,andthatwasall。
MybrotherwenttochurchattheFoundlingHospitalinthemorning,stillinignoranceofwhathadhappenedonthepreviousnight。Thereheheardallusionsmadetotheinvasion,andaspecialprayerforpeace。Comingout,heboughtaREFEREE。Hebecamealarmedatthenewsinthis,andwentagaintoWaterloostationtofindoutifcommunicationwererestored。Theomnibuses,carriages,cyclists,andinnumerablepeoplewalkingintheirbestclothesseemedscarcelyaffectedbythestrangeintelligencethatthenewsvendersweredis-seminating。Peoplewereinterested,or,ifalarmed,alarmedonlyonaccountofthelocalresidents。AtthestationheheardforthefirsttimethattheWindsorandChertseylineswerenowinterrupted。
Theporterstoldhimthatseveralremark-abletelegramshadbeenreceivedinthemorningfromByfleetandChertseystations,butthatthesehadabruptlyceased。Mybrothercouldgetverylittleprecisedetailoutofthem。
\"There\'sfightinggoingonaboutWeybridge\"wastheextentoftheirinformation。
Thetrainservicewasnowverymuchdisorganised。QuiteanumberofpeoplewhohadbeenexpectingfriendsfromplacesontheSouth-Westernnetworkwerestandingaboutthestation。Onegrey-headedoldgentlemancameandabusedtheSouth-WesternCompanybitterlytomybrother。\"Itwantsshowingup,\"hesaid。
OneortwotrainscameinfromRichmond,Putney,andKingston,containingpeoplewhohadgoneoutforaday\'sboatingandfoundthelocksclosedandafeelingofpanicintheair。Amaninablueandwhiteblazeraddressedmybrother,fullofstrangetidings。
\"There\'shostsofpeopledrivingintoKingstonintrapsandcartsandthings,withboxesofvaluablesandallthat,\"hesaid。\"TheycomefromMoleseyandWeybridgeandWalton,andtheysaythere\'sbeengunsheardatChertsey,heavyfiring,andthatmountedsoldiershavetoldthemtogetoffatoncebecausetheMartiansarecoming。WeheardgunsfiringatHamptonCourtstation,butwethoughtitwasthunder。Whatthedickensdoesitallmean?TheMartianscan\'tgetoutoftheirpit,canthey?\"
Mybrothercouldnottellhim。
Afterwardshefoundthatthevaguefeelingofalarmhadspreadtotheclientsoftheundergroundrailway,andthattheSundayexcursionistsbegantoreturnfromallovertheSouth-Western\"lung\"——Barnes,Wimbledon,RichmondPark,Kew,andsoforth——atunnaturallyearlyhours;butnotasoulhadanythingmorethanvaguehearsaytotellof。Every-oneconnectedwiththeterminusseemedill-tempered。
Aboutfiveo\'clockthegatheringcrowdinthestationwasimmenselyexcitedbytheopeningofthelineofcommunica-tion,whichisalmostinvariablyclosed,betweentheSouth-EasternandtheSouth-Westernstations,andthepassageofcarriagetrucksbearinghugegunsandcarriagescrammedwithsoldiers。ThesewerethegunsthatwerebroughtupfromWoolwichandChathamtocoverKingston。Therewasanexchangeofpleasantries:\"You\'llgeteaten!\"\"We\'rethebeast-tamers!\"andsoforth。Alittlewhileafterthatasquadofpolicecameintothestationandbegantoclearthepublicofftheplatforms,andmybrotherwentoutintothestreetagain。
Thechurchbellswereringingforevensong,andasquadofSalvationArmylassiescamesingingdownWaterlooRoad。Onthebridgeanumberofloaferswerewatchingacuriousbrownscumthatcamedriftingdownthestreaminpatches。Thesunwasjustsetting,andtheClockTowerandtheHousesofParliamentroseagainstoneofthemostpeacefulskiesitispossibletoimagine,askyofgold,barredwithlongtrans-versestripesofreddish-purplecloud。Therewastalkofafloatingbody。Oneofthementhere,areservisthesaidhewas,toldmybrotherhehadseentheheliographflickeringinthewest。
InWellingtonStreetmybrothermetacoupleofsturdyroughswhohadjustbeenrushedoutofFleetStreetwithstill-wetnewspapersandstaringplacards。\"Dreadfulcatastrophe!\"theybawledonetotheotherdownWellingtonStreet。\"FightingatWeybridge!Fulldescription!RepulseoftheMartians!
LondoninDanger!\"Hehadtogivethreepenceforacopyofthatpaper。
Thenitwas,andthenonly,thatherealisedsomethingofthefullpowerandterrorofthesemonsters。Helearnedthattheywerenotmerelyahandfulofsmallsluggishcreatures,butthattheyweremindsswayingvastmechanicalbodies;andthattheycouldmoveswiftlyandsmitewithsuchpowerthateventhemightiestgunscouldnotstandagainstthem。
Theyweredescribedas\"vastspiderlikemachines,nearlyahundredfeethigh,capableofthespeedofanexpresstrain,andabletoshootoutabeamofintenseheat。\"Maskedbatter-ies,chieflyoffieldguns,hadbeenplantedinthecountryaboutHorsellCommon,andespeciallybetweentheWokingdistrictandLondon。FiveofthemachineshadbeenseenmovingtowardstheThames,andone,byahappychance,hadbeendestroyed。Intheothercasestheshellshadmissed,andthebatterieshadbeenatonceannihilatedbytheHeat-Rays。Heavylossesofsoldierswerementioned,butthetoneofthedespatchwasoptimistic。
TheMartianshadbeenrepulsed;theywerenotinvulnera-ble。Theyhadretreatedtotheirtriangleofcylindersagain,inthecircleaboutWoking。
Signallerswithheliographswerepushingforwarduponthemfromallsides。
GunswereinrapidtransitfromWindsor,Portsmouth,Aldershot,Woolwich——
evenfromthenorth;amongothers,longwire-gunsofninety-fivetonsfromWoolwich。Altogetheronehundredandsixteenwereinpositionorbeinghastilyplaced,chieflycoveringLon-don。NeverbeforeinEnglandhadtherebeensuchavastorrapidconcentrationofmilitarymaterial。
Anyfurthercylindersthatfell,itwashoped,couldbedestroyedatoncebyhighexplosives,whichwerebeingrap-idlymanufacturedanddistributed。
Nodoubt,ranthereport,thesituationwasofthestrangestandgravestdescription,butthepublicwasexhortedtoavoidanddiscouragepanic。
NodoubttheMartianswerestrangeandterribleintheextreme,butattheoutsidetherecouldnotbemorethantwentyofthemagainstourmillions。
Theauthoritieshadreasontosuppose,fromthesizeofthecylinders,thatattheoutsidetherecouldnotbemorethanfiveineachcylinder——fifteenaltogether。Andoneatleastwasdisposedof——perhapsmore。Thepublicwouldbefairlywarnedoftheapproachofdanger,andelaboratemeasureswerebeingtakenfortheprotectionofthepeopleinthethreatenedsouthwesternsuburbs。Andso,withreiteratedassurancesofthesafetyofLondonandtheabilityoftheauthoritiestocopewiththedifficulty,thisquasi-proclamationclosed。
Thiswasprintedinenormoustypeonpapersofreshthatitwasstillwet,andtherehadbeennotimetoaddawordofcomment。Itwascurious,mybrothersaid,toseehowruth-lesslytheusualcontentsofthepaperhadbeenhackedandtakenouttogivethisplace。
AlldownWellingtonStreetpeoplecouldbeseenflutteringoutthepinksheetsandreading,andtheStrandwassuddenlynoisywiththevoicesofanarmyofhawkersfollowingthesepioneers。Mencamescramblingoffbusestosecurecopies。Certainlythisnewsexcitedpeopleintensely,whatevertheirpreviousapathy。TheshuttersofamapshopintheStrandwerebeingtakendown,mybrothersaid,andamaninhisSundayraiment,lemon-yellowgloveseven,wasvisi-bleinsidethewindowhastilyfasteningmapsofSurreytotheglass。
GoingonalongtheStrandtoTrafalgarSquare,thepaperinhishand,mybrothersawsomeofthefugitivesfromWestSurrey。Therewasamanwithhiswifeandtwoboysandsomearticlesoffurnitureinacartsuchasgreengrocersuse。HewasdrivingfromthedirectionofWestminsterBridge;
andclosebehindhimcameahaywaggonwithfiveorsixrespectable-lookingpeopleinit,andsomeboxesandbundles。Thefacesofthesepeoplewerehaggard,andtheirentireappearancecontrastedconspicuouslywiththeSabbath-bestappearanceofthepeopleontheomnibuses。Peopleinfash-
ionableclothingpeepedatthemoutofcabs。TheystoppedattheSquareasifundecidedwhichwaytotake,andfinallyturnedeastwardalongtheStrand。Somewaybehindthesecameamaninworkdayclothes,ridingoneofthoseold-fashionedtricycleswithasmallfrontwheel。Hewasdirtyandwhiteintheface。
MybrotherturneddowntowardsVictoria,andmetanum-berofsuchpeople。Hehadavagueideathathemightseesomethingofme。Henoticedanunusualnumberofpoliceregulatingthetraffic。Someoftherefugeeswereexchangingnewswiththepeopleontheomnibuses。OnewasprofessingtohaveseentheMartians。\"Boilersonstilts,Itellyou,stridingalonglikemen。\"Mostofthemwereexcitedandanimatedbytheirstrangeexperience。
BeyondVictoriathepublic-housesweredoingalivelytradewiththesearrivals。Atallthestreetcornersgroupsofpeoplewerereadingpapers,talkingexcitedly,orstaringattheseunusualSundayvisitors。Theyseemedtoincreaseasnightdrewon,untilatlasttheroads,mybrothersaid,werelikeEpsomHighStreetonaDerbyDay。Mybrotheraddressedseveralofthesefugitivesandgotunsatisfactoryanswersfrommost。
NoneofthemcouldtellhimanynewsofWokingexceptoneman,whoassuredhimthatWokinghadbeenentirelydestroyedonthepreviousnight。
\"IcomefromByfleet,\"hesaid;\"manonabicyclecamethroughtheplaceintheearlymorning,andranfromdoortodoorwarningustocomeaway。
Thencamesoldiers。Wewentouttolook,andtherewerecloudsofsmoketothesouth——nothingbutsmoke,andnotasoulcomingthatway。ThenweheardthegunsatChertsey,andfolkscomingfromWey-bridge。SoI\'velockedupmyhouseandcomeon。\"
Atthetimetherewasastrongfeelinginthestreetsthattheauthoritiesweretoblamefortheirincapacitytodisposeoftheinvaderswithoutallthisinconvenience。
Abouteighto\'clockanoiseofheavyfiringwasdistinctlyaudiblealloverthesouthofLondon。Mybrothercouldnothearitforthetrafficinthemainthoroughfares,butbystrik-ingthroughthequietbackstreetstotheriverhewasabletodistinguishitquiteplainly。
HewalkedfromWestminstertohisapartmentsnearRe-gent\'sPark,abouttwo。Hewasnowveryanxiousonmyaccount,anddisturbedattheevidentmagnitudeofthetrouble。Hismindwasinclinedtorun,evenasminehadrunonSaturday,onmilitarydetails。Hethoughtofallthosesilent,expectantguns,ofthesuddenlynomadiccountryside;hetriedtoimagine\"boilersonstilts\"ahundredfeethigh。
TherewereoneortwocartloadsofrefugeespassingalongOxfordStreet,andseveralintheMaryleboneRoad,butsoslowlywasthenewsspreadingthatRegentStreetandPort-landPlacewerefulloftheirusualSunday-nightpromenaders,albeittheytalkedingroups,andalongtheedgeofRegent\'sParktherewereasmanysilentcouples\"walkingout\"togetherunderthescatteredgaslampsasevertherehadbeen。Thenightwaswarmandstill,andalittleoppressive;thesoundofgunscontinuedintermittently,andaftermidnightthereseemedtobesheetlightninginthesouth。
Hereadandre-readthepaper,fearingtheworsthadhap-penedtome。
Hewasrestless,andaftersupperprowledoutagainaimlessly。Hereturnedandtriedinvaintodiverthisattentiontohisexaminationnotes。Hewenttobedalittleaftermidnight,andwasawakenedfromluriddreamsinthesmallhoursofMondaybythesoundofdoorknockers,feetrunninginthestreet,distantdrumming,andaclamourofbells。Redreflectionsdancedontheceiling。Foramomenthelayastonished,wonderingwhetherdayhadcomeortheworldgonemad。Thenhejumpedoutofbedandrantothewindow。
Hisroomwasanatticandashethrusthisheadout,upanddownthestreettherewereadozenechoestothenoiseofhiswindowsash,andheadsineverykindofnightdisarrayappeared。Enquirieswerebeingshouted。
\"Theyarecoming!\"bawledapoliceman,hammeringatthedoor;\"theMartiansarecoming!\"andhurriedtothenextdoor。
ThesoundofdrummingandtrumpetingcamefromtheAlbanyStreetBarracks,andeverychurchwithinearshotwashardatworkkillingsleepwithavehementdisorderlytocsin。Therewasanoiseofdoorsopening,andwindowafterwin-dowinthehousesoppositeflashedfromdarknessintoyellowillumination。
Upthestreetcamegallopingaclosedcarriage,burstingabruptlyintonoiseatthecorner,risingtoaclatteringclimaxunderthewindow,anddyingawayslowlyinthedistance。Closeontherearofthiscameacoupleofcabs,theforerun-nersofalongprocessionofflyingvehicles,goingforthemostparttoChalkFarmstation,wheretheNorth-Westernspecialtrainswereloadingup,insteadofcomingdownthegradientintoEuston。
Foralongtimemybrotherstaredoutofthewindowinblankastonishment,watchingthepolicemenhammeringatdoorafterdoor,anddeliveringtheirincomprehensiblemes-sage。Thenthedoorbehindhimopened,andthemanwholodgedacrossthelandingcamein,dressedonlyinshirt,trousers,andslippers,hisbraceslooseabouthiswaist,hishairdisorderedfromhispillow。
\"Whatthedevilisit?\"heasked。\"Afire?Whatadevilofarow!\"
Theybothcranedtheirheadsoutofthewindow,strainingtohearwhatthepolicemenwereshouting。Peoplewerecom-ingoutofthesidestreets,andstandingingroupsatthecornerstalking。
\"Whatthedevilisitallabout?\"saidmybrother\'sfellowlodger。
Mybrotheransweredhimvaguelyandbegantodress,runningwitheachgarmenttothewindowinordertomissnothingofthegrowingexcitement。
Andpresentlymensellingunnaturallyearlynewspaperscamebawlingintothestreet:
\"Londonindangerofsuffocation!TheKingstonandRich-monddefencesforced!FearfulmassacresintheThamesValley!\"
Andallabouthim——intheroomsbelow,inthehousesoneachsideandacrosstheroad,andbehindintheParkTer-racesandinthehundredotherstreetsofthatpartofMaryle-bone,andtheWestbourneParkdistrictandSt。Pancras,andwestwardandnorthwardinKilburnandSt。John\'sWoodandHampstead,andeastwardinShoreditchandHighburyandHaggerstonandHoxton,and,indeed,throughallthevastnessofLondonfromEalingtoEastHam——peoplewererubbingtheireyes,andopeningwindowstostareoutandaskaimlessquestions,dressinghastilyasthefirstbreathofthecomingstormofFearblewthroughthestreets。Itwasthedawnofthegreatpanic。London,whichhadgonetobedonSundaynightobliviousandinert,wasawakened,inthesmallhoursofMondaymorning,toavividsenseofdanger。
Unablefromhiswindowtolearnwhatwashappening,mybrotherwentdownandoutintothestreet,justastheskybetweentheparapetsofthehousesgrewpinkwiththeearlydawn。Theflyingpeopleonfootandinvehiclesgrewmorenumerouseverymoment。\"BlackSmoke!\"heheardpeoplecrying,andagain\"BlackSmoke!\"Thecontagionofsuchaunanimousfearwasinevitable。Asmybrotherhesitatedonthedoor-step,hesawanothernewsvenderapproaching,andgotapaperforthwith。Themanwasrunningawaywiththerest,andsellinghispapersforashillingeachasheran——agrotesqueminglingofprofitandpanic。
AndfromthispapermybrotherreadthatcatastrophicdespatchoftheCommander-in-Chief:
\"TheMartiansareabletodischargeenormouscloudsofablackandpoisonousvapourbymeansofrockets。Theyhavesmotheredourbatteries,destroyedRichmond,Kingston,andWimbledon,andareadvancingslowlytowardsLondon,de-stroyingeverythingontheway。Itisimpossibletostopthem。ThereisnosafetyfromtheBlackSmokebutininstantflight。\"
Thatwasall,butitwasenough。Thewholepopulationofthegreatsix-millioncitywasstirring,slipping,running;pres-entlyitwouldbepouringEN
MASSEnorthward。
\"BlackSmoke!\"thevoicescried。\"Fire!\"
Thebellsoftheneighbouringchurchmadeajanglingtumult,acartcarelesslydrivensmashed,amidshrieksandcurses,againstthewatertroughupthestreet。Sicklyyellowlightswenttoandfrointhehouses,andsomeofthepassingcabsflauntedunextinguishedlamps。Andoverheadthedawnwasgrowingbrighter,clearandsteadyandcalm。
Heheardfootstepsrunningtoandfrointherooms,andupanddownstairsbehindhim。Hislandladycametothedoor,looselywrappedindressinggownandshawl;herhus-bandfollowedejaculating。
Asmybrotherbegantorealisetheimportofallthesethings,heturnedhastilytohisownroom,putallhisavailablemoney——sometenpoundsaltogether——intohispockets,andwentoutagainintothestreets。
TheWaroftheWorlds-Book1-Chapter15Chapter15-WhatHadHappenedInSurreyItwaswhilethecuratehadsatandtalkedsowildlytomeunderthehedgeintheflatmeadowsnearHalliford,andwhilemybrotherwaswatchingthefugitivesstreamoverWestminsterBridge,thattheMartianshadresumedtheof-fensive。Sofarasonecanascertainfromtheconflictingaccountsthathavebeenputforth,themajorityofthemremainedbusiedwithpreparationsintheHorsellpituntilninethatnight,hurryingonsomeoperationthatdisengagedhugevolumesofgreensmoke。
Butthreecertainlycameoutabouteighto\'clockand,advancingslowlyandcautiously,madetheirwaythroughByfleetandPyrfordtowardsRipleyandWeybridge,andsocameinsightoftheexpectantbatteriesagainstthesettingsun。TheseMartiansdidnotadvanceinabody,butinaline,eachperhapsamileandahalffromhisnearestfellow。Theycommunicatedwithoneanotherbymeansofsirenlikehowls,runningupanddownthescalefromonenotetoanother。
ItwasthishowlingandfiringofthegunsatRipleyandSt。George\'sHillthatwehadheardatUpperHalliford。TheRipleygunners,unseasonedartilleryvolunteerswhooughtnevertohavebeenplacedinsuchaposition,firedonewild,premature,ineffectualvolley,andboltedonhorseandfootthroughthedesertedvillage,whiletheMartian,withoutusinghisHeat-Ray,walkedserenelyovertheirguns,steppedgin-gerlyamongthem,passedinfrontofthem,andsocameunexpectedlyuponthegunsinPainshillPark,whichhedestroyed。
TheSt。George\'sHillmen,however,werebetterledorofabettermettle。
Hiddenbyapinewoodastheywere,theyseemtohavebeenquiteunsuspectedbytheMartiannearesttothem。Theylaidtheirgunsasdeliberatelyasiftheyhadbeenonparade,andfiredataboutathousandyards\'range。
Theshellsflashedallroundhim,andhewasseentoadvanceafewpaces,stagger,andgodown。Everybodyyelledtogether,andthegunswerereloadedinfrantichaste。TheoverthrownMartiansetupaprolongedululation,andimme-diatelyasecondglitteringgiant,answeringhim,appearedoverthetreestothesouth。Itwouldseemthatalegofthetripodhadbeensmashedbyoneoftheshells。ThewholeofthesecondvolleyflewwideoftheMartianontheground,and,simultaneously,bothhiscompanionsbroughttheirHeat-Raystobearonthebattery。Theammunitionblewup,thepinetreesallaboutthegunsflashedintofire,andonlyoneortwoofthemenwhowerealreadyrunningoverthecrestofthehillescaped。
Afterthisitwouldseemthatthethreetookcounselto-getherandhalted,andthescoutswhowerewatchingthemreportthattheyremainedabsolutelystationaryforthenexthalfhour。TheMartianwhohadbeenoverthrowncrawledtediouslyoutofhishood,asmallbrownfigure,oddlysugges-tivefromthatdistanceofaspeckofblight,andapparentlyengagedintherepairofhissupport。Aboutninehehadfinished,forhiscowlwasthenseenabovethetreesagain。
ItwasafewminutespastninethatnightwhenthesethreesentinelswerejoinedbyfourotherMartians,eachcarryingathickblacktube。A
similartubewashandedtoeachofthethree,andthesevenproceededtodistributethemselvesatequaldistancesalongacurvedlinebetweenSt。
George\'sHill,Weybridge,andthevillageofSend,southwestofRipley。
Adozenrocketssprangoutofthehillsbeforethemsosoonastheybegantomove,andwarnedthewaitingbatteriesaboutDittonandEsher。
Atthesametimefouroftheirfightingmachines,similarlyarmedwithtubes,crossedtheriver,andtwoofthem,blackagainstthewesternsky,cameintosightofmyselfandthecurateaswehurriedwearilyandpainfullyalongtheroadthatrunsnorthwardoutofHalliford。Theymoved,asitseemedtous,uponacloud,foramilkymistcoveredthefieldsandrosetoathirdoftheirheight。
Atthissightthecuratecriedfaintlyinhisthroat,andbeganrunning;
butIknewitwasnogoodrunningfromaMartian,andIturnedasideandcrawledthroughdewynettlesandbramblesintothebroadditchbythesideoftheroad。Helookedback,sawwhatIwasdoing,andturnedtojoinme。
Thetwohalted,thenearertousstandingandfacingSun-bury,theremoterbeingagreyindistinctnesstowardstheeveningstar,awaytowardsStaines。
TheoccasionalhowlingoftheMartianshadceased;theytookuptheirpositionsinthehugecrescentabouttheircylindersinabsolutesilence。
Itwasacrescentwithtwelvemilesbetweenitshorns。Neversincethedevisingofgun-powderwasthebeginningofabattlesostill。TousandtoanobserveraboutRipleyitwouldhavehadpreciselythesameeffect——theMartiansseemedinsolitarypossessionofthedarklingnight,litonlyasitwasbytheslendermoon,thestars,theafterglowofthedaylight,andtheruddyglarefromSt。George\'sHillandthewoodsofPainshill。
Butfacingthatcrescenteverywhere——atStaines,Hounslow,Ditton,Esher,Ockham,behindhillsandwoodssouthoftheriver,andacrosstheflatgrassmeadowstothenorthofit,whereveraclusteroftreesorvillagehousesgavesufficientcover——thegunswerewaiting。Thesignalrocketsburstandrainedtheirsparksthroughthenightandvanished,andthespiritofallthosewatchingbatteriesrosetoatenseexpecta-tion。TheMartianshadbuttoadvanceintothelineoffire,andinstantlythosemotionlessblackformsofmen,thosegunsglitteringsodarklyintheearlynight,wouldexplodeintoathunderousfuryofbattle。
Nodoubtthethoughtthatwasuppermostinathousandofthosevigilantminds,evenasitwasuppermostinmine,wastheriddle——howmuchtheyunderstoodofus。Didtheygraspthatweinourmillionswereorganized,disciplined,workingtogether?Ordidtheyinterpretourspurtsoffire,thesuddenstingingofourshells,oursteadyinvestmentoftheirencampment,asweshouldthefuriousunanimityofonslaughtinadisturbedhiveofbees?Didtheydreamtheymightexterminateus?(Atthattimenooneknewwhatfoodtheyneeded。)AhundredsuchquestionsstruggledtogetherinmymindasIwatchedthatvastsentinelshape。AndinthebackofmymindwasthesenseofallthehugeunknownandhiddenforcesLondonward。Hadtheypreparedpitfalls?WerethepowdermillsatHounslowreadyasasnare?
WouldtheLondonershavetheheartandcouragetomakeagreaterMoscowoftheirmightyprovinceofhouses?
Then,afteraninterminabletime,asitseemedtous,crouchingandpeeringthroughthehedge,cameasoundlikethedistantconcussionofagun。Anothernearer,andthenanother。AndthentheMartianbesideusraisedhistubeonhighanddischargedit,gunwise,withaheavyreportthatmadethegroundheave。TheonetowardsStainesansweredhim。Therewasnoflash,nosmoke,simplythatloadeddetonation。
Iwassoexcitedbytheseheavyminute-gunsfollowingoneanotherthatIsofarforgotmypersonalsafetyandmyscaldedhandsastoclamberupintothehedgeandstaretowardsSunbury。AsIdidsoasecondreportfollowed,andabigprojectilehurtledoverheadtowardsHounslow。Iex-pectedatleasttoseesmokeorfire,orsomesuchevidenceofitswork。ButallIsawwasthedeepblueskyabove,withonesolitarystar,andthewhitemistspreadingwideandlowbeneath。Andtherehadbeennocrash,noansweringex-plosion。Thesilencewasrestored;theminutelengthenedtothree。
\"Whathashappened?\"saidthecurate,standingupbesideme。
\"Heavenknows!\"saidI。
Abatflickeredbyandvanished。Adistanttumultofshoutingbeganandceased。IlookedagainattheMartian,andsawhewasnowmovingeastwardalongtheriverbank,withaswift,rollingmotion,EverymomentIexpectedthefireofsomehiddenbatterytospringuponhim;buttheeveningcalmwasunbroken。ThefigureoftheMartiangrewsmallerashereceded,andpresentlythemistandthegatheringnighthadswallowedhimup。Byacommonimpulseweclamberedhigher。TowardsSunburywasadarkappearance,asthoughaconicalhillhadsuddenlycomeintobeingthere,hidingourviewofthefarthercountry;andthen,remoteracrosstheriver,overWalton,wesawanothersuchsummit。Thesehill-likeformsgrewlowerandbroaderevenaswestared。
Movedbyasuddenthought,Ilookednorthward,andthereIperceivedathirdofthesecloudyblackkopjeshadrisen。
Everythinghadsuddenlybecomeverystill。Farawaytothesoutheast,markingthequiet,weheardtheMartianshootingtooneanother,andthentheairquiveredagainwiththedistantthudoftheirguns。Buttheearthlyartillerymadenoreply。
Nowatthetimewecouldnotunderstandthesethings,butlaterIwastolearnthemeaningoftheseominouskopjesthatgatheredinthetwilight。
EachoftheMartians,standinginthegreatcrescentIhavedescribed,haddischarged,bymeansofthegunliketubehecarried,ahugecanisteroverwhateverhill,copse,clusterofhouses,orotherpossiblecoverforguns,chancedtobeinfrontofhim。Somefiredonlyoneofthese,sometwo——asinthecaseoftheonewehadseen;theoneatRipleyissaidtohavedischargednofewerthanfiveatthattime。Thesecanisterssmashedonstrikingtheground——theydidnotexplode——andincontinentlydisengagedanenormousvolumeofheavy,inkyvapour,coilingandpour-ingupwardinahugeandebonycumuluscloud,agaseoushillthatsankandspreaditselfslowlyoverthesurroundingcountry。Andthetouchofthatvapour,theinhalingofitspungentwisps,wasdeathtoallthatbreathes。
Itwasheavy,thisvapour,heavierthanthedensestsmoke,sothat,afterthefirsttumultuousuprushandoutflowofitsimpact,itsankdownthroughtheairandpouredoverthegroundinamannerratherliquidthangaseous,abandoningthehills,andstreamingintothevalleysandditchesandwatercoursesevenasIhaveheardthecarbonic-acidgasthatpoursfromvolcaniccleftsiswonttodo。Andwhereitcameuponwatersomechemicalactionoccurred,andthesurfacewouldbeinstantlycoveredwithapowderyscumthatsankslowlyandmadewayformore。Thescumwasabsolutelyinsoluble,anditisastrangething,seeingtheinstanteffectofthegas,thatonecoulddrinkwithouthurtthewaterfromwhichithadbeenstrained。Thevapourdidnotdiffuseasatruegaswoulddo。Ithungtogetherinbanks,flowingslug-gishlydowntheslopeofthelandanddrivingreluctantlybeforethewind,andveryslowlyitcombinedwiththemistandmoistureoftheair,andsanktotheearthintheformofdust。Savethatanunknownelementgivingagroupoffourlinesintheblueofthespectrumisconcerned,wearestillentirelyignorantofthenatureofthissubstance。
Oncethetumultuousupheavalofitsdispersionwasover,theblacksmokeclungsocloselytotheground,evenbeforeitsprecipitation,thatfiftyfeetupintheair,ontheroofsandupperstoriesofhighhousesandongreattrees,therewasachanceofescapingitspoisonaltogether,aswasprovedeventhatnightatStreetCobhamandDitton。
Themanwhoescapedattheformerplacetellsawonderfulstoryofthestrangenessofitscoilingflow,andhowhelookeddownfromthechurchspireandsawthehousesofthevillagerisinglikeghostsoutofitsinkynothingness。Foradayandahalfheremainedthere,weary,starvingandsun-scorched,theearthundertheblueskyandagainsttheprospectofthedistanthillsavelvet-blackexpanse,withredroofs,greentrees,and,later,black-veiledshrubsandgates,barns,out-houses,andwalls,risinghereandthereintothesunlight。
ButthatwasatStreetCobham,wheretheblackvapourwasallowedtoremainuntilitsankofitsownaccordintotheground。AsaruletheMartians,whenithadserveditspurpose,clearedtheairofitagainbywadingintoitanddirectingajetofsteamuponit。
Thistheydidwiththevapourbanksnearus,aswesawinthestarlightfromthewindowofadesertedhouseatUpperHalliford,whitherwehadreturned。FromtherewecouldseethesearchlightsonRichmondHillandKingstonHillgoingtoandfro,andabouteleventhewindowsrattled,andweheardthesoundofthehugesiegegunsthathadbeenputinpositionthere。Thesecontinuedintermittentlyforthespaceofaquarterofanhour,sendingchanceshotsattheinvisibleMartiansatHamptonandDitton,andthenthepalebeamsoftheelectriclightvanished,andwerereplacedbyabrightredglow。
Thenthefourthcylinderfell——abrilliantgreenmeteor——asIlearnedafterwards,inBusheyPark。BeforethegunsontheRichmondandKingstonlineofhillsbegan,therewasafitfulcannonadefarawayinthesouthwest,due,Ibelieve,togunsbeingfiredhaphazardbeforetheblackvapourcouldover-whelmthegunners。
So,settingaboutitasmethodicallyasmenmightsmokeoutawasps\'
nest,theMartiansspreadthisstrangestiflingvapourovertheLondonwardcountry。Thehornsofthecrescentslowlymovedapart,untilatlasttheyformedalinefromHanwelltoCoombeandMalden。Allnightthroughtheirdestructivetubesadvanced。Neveronce,aftertheMartianatSt。George\'sHillwasbroughtdown,didtheygivetheartillerytheghostofachanceagainstthem。Wherevertherewasapossibilityofgunsbeinglaidforthemunseen,afreshcanisteroftheblackvapourwasdischarged,andwherethegunswereopenlydisplayedtheHeat-Raywasbroughttobear。
BymidnighttheblazingtreesalongtheslopesofRich-mondParkandtheglareofKingstonHillthrewtheirlightuponanetworkofblacksmoke,blottingoutthewholevalleyoftheThamesandextendingasfarastheeyecouldreach。AndthroughthistwoMartiansslowlywaded,andturnedtheirhissingsteamjetsthiswayandthat。
TheyweresparingoftheHeat-Raythatnight,eitherbe-causetheyhadbutalimitedsupplyofmaterialforitsproductionorbecausetheydidnotwishtodestroythecountrybutonlytocrushandoverawetheoppositiontheyhadaroused。Inthelatteraimtheycertainlysucceeded。Sun-daynightwastheendoftheorganisedoppositiontotheirmovements。Afterthatnobodyofmenwouldstandagainstthem,sohopelesswastheenterprise。