\"NodoubtlotswhohadmoneyhavegoneawaytoFrance,\"hesaid。Heseemedtohesitatewhethertoapolo-gise,metmyeyes,andwenton:\"There\'sfoodallabouthere。Cannedthingsinshops;wines,spirits,mineralwaters;
andthewatermainsanddrainsareempty。Well,IwastellingyouwhatIwasthinking。\"Here\'sintelligentthings,\"Isaid,\"anditseemstheywantusforfood。First,they\'llsmashusup——ships,machines,guns,cities,alltheorderandorganisa-tion。Allthatwillgo。Ifwewerethesizeofantswemightpullthrough。Butwe\'renot。It\'salltoobulkytostop。
That\'sthefirstcertainty。\"Eh?\"
Iassented。
\"Itis;I\'vethoughtitout。Verywell,then——next;atpresentwe\'recaughtaswe\'rewanted。AMartianhasonlytogoafewmilestogetacrowdontherun。AndIsawone,oneday,outbyWandsworth,pickinghousestopiecesandroutingamongthewreckage。Buttheywon\'tkeepondoingthat。
Sosoonasthey\'vesettledallourgunsandships,andsmashedourrailways,anddoneallthethingstheyaredoingoverthere,theywillbegincatchingussystematic,pick-ingthebestandstoringusincagesandthings。That\'swhattheywillstartdoinginabit。Lord!Theyhaven\'tbegunonusyet。
Don\'tyouseethat?\"
\"Notbegun!\"Iexclaimed。
\"Notbegun。Allthat\'shappenedsofaristhroughournothavingthesensetokeepquiet——worryingthemwithgunsandsuchfoolery。Andlosingourheads,andrushingoffincrowdstowheretherewasn\'tanymoresafetythanwherewewere。Theydon\'twanttobotherusyet。They\'remakingtheirthings——makingallthethingstheycouldn\'tbringwiththem,gettingthingsreadyfortherestoftheirpeople。Verylikelythat\'swhythecylindershavestoppedforabit,forfearofhittingthosewhoarehere。Andinsteadofourrush-ingaboutblind,onthehowl,orgettingdynamiteonthechanceofbustingthemup,we\'vegottofixourselvesupaccordingtothenewstateofaffairs。That\'showIfigureitout。Itisn\'tquiteaccordingtowhatamanwantsforhisspecies,butit\'saboutwhatthefactspointto。Andthat\'stheprincipleIactedupon。Cities,nations,civilisation,progress——it\'sallover。Thatgame\'sup。We\'rebeat。\"
\"Butifthatisso,whatistheretolivefor?\"
Theartillerymanlookedatmeforamoment。
\"Therewon\'tbeanymoreblessedconcertsforamillionyearsorso;
therewon\'tbeanyRoyalAcademyofArts,andnonicelittlefeedsatrestaurants。
Ifit\'samusementyou\'reafter,Ireckonthegameisup。Ifyou\'vegotanydrawing-roommannersoradisliketoeatingpeaswithaknifeordroppingaitches,you\'dbetterchuck\'emaway。Theyain\'tnofurtheruse。\"
\"Youmean————\"
\"Imeanthatmenlikemearegoingonliving——forthesakeofthebreed。
Itellyou,I\'mgrimsetonliving。AndifI\'mnotmistaken,you\'llshowwhatinsidesYOU\'VEgot,too,beforelong。Wearen\'tgoingtobeexterminated。
AndIdon\'tmeantobecaughteither,andtamedandfattenedandbredlikeathunderingox。Ugh!Fancythosebrowncreepers!\"
\"Youdon\'tmeantosay————\"
\"Ido。I\'mgoingon,undertheirfeet。I\'vegotitplanned;I\'vethoughtitout。Wemenarebeat。Wedon\'tknowenough。We\'vegottolearnbeforewe\'vegotachance。Andwe\'vegottoliveandkeepindependentwhilewelearn。See!That\'swhathastobedone。\"
Istared,astonished,andstirredprofoundlybytheman\'sresolution。
\"GreatGod!,\"criedI。\"Butyouareamanindeed!\"AndsuddenlyIgrippedhishand。
\"Eh!\"hesaid,withhiseyesshining。\"I\'vethoughtitout,eh?\"
\"Goon,\"Isaid。
\"Well,thosewhomeantoescapetheircatchingmustgetready。I\'mgettingready。Mindyou,itisn\'tallofusthataremadeforwildbeasts;andthat\'swhatit\'sgottobe。That\'swhyIwatchedyou。Ihadmydoubts。
You\'reslender。Ididn\'tknowthatitwasyou,yousee,orjusthowyou\'dbeenburied。Allthese——thesortofpeoplethatlivedinthesehouses,andallthosedamnlittleclerksthatusedtolivedownthatway——they\'dbenogood。Theyhaven\'tanyspiritinthem——noprouddreamsandnoproudlusts;andamanwhohasn\'toneortheother——Lord!Whatishebutfunkandprecautions?Theyjustusedtoskedaddleofftowork——I\'veseenhundredsof\'em,bitofbreakfastinhand,runningwildandshiningtocatchtheirlittleseason-tickettrain,forfearthey\'dgetdismissediftheydidn\'t;
workingatbusinessestheywereafraidtotakethetroubletounder-stand;
skedaddlingbackforfeartheywouldn\'tbeintimefordinner;keepingindoorsafterdinnerforfearofthebackstreets,andsleepingwiththewivestheymarried,notbe-causetheywantedthem,butbecausetheyhadabitofmoneythatwouldmakeforsafetyintheironelittlemis-erableskedaddlethroughtheworld。Livesinsuredandabitinvestedforfearofaccidents。AndonSundays——fearofthehereafter。Asifhellwasbuiltforrabbits!Well,theMar-tianswilljustbeagodsendtothese。Niceroomycages,fat-teningfood,carefulbreeding,noworry。Afteraweekorsochasingaboutthefieldsandlandsonemptystomachs,they\'llcomeandbecaughtcheerful。They\'llbequitegladafterabit。They\'llwonderwhatpeopledidbeforetherewereMartianstotakecareofthem。Andthebarloafers,andmashers,andsingers——Icanimaginethem。Icanimaginethem,\"hesaid,withasortofsombregratification。\"There\'llbeanyamountofsentimentandreligionlooseamongthem。There\'shundredsofthingsIsawwithmyeyesthatI\'veonlybeguntoseeclearlytheselastfewdays。
There\'slotswilltakethingsastheyare——fatandstupid;andlotswillbeworriedbyasortoffeelingthatit\'sallwrong,andthattheyoughttobedoingsomething。Nowwheneverthingsaresothatalotofpeoplefeeltheyoughttobedoingsome-thing,theweak,andthosewhogoweakwithalotofcom-plicatedthinking,alwaysmakeforasortofdo-nothingreligion,verypiousandsuperior,andsubmittopersecutionandthewilloftheLord。Verylikelyyou\'veseenthesamething。It\'senergyinagaleoffunk,andturnedcleaninsideout。Thesecageswillbefullofpsalmsandhymnsandpiety。Andthoseofalesssimplesortwillworkinabitof——whatisit?——eroticism。\"
Hepaused。
\"VerylikelytheseMartianswillmakepetsofsomeofthem;trainthemtodotricks——whoknows?——getsentimentaloverthepetboywhogrewupandhadtobekilled。Andsome,maybe,theywilltraintohuntus。\"
\"No,\"Icried,\"that\'simpossible!Nohumanbeing————\"
\"What\'sthegoodofgoingonwithsuchlies?\"saidtheartilleryman。
\"There\'smenwho\'ddoitcheerful。Whatnon-sensetopretendthereisn\'t!\"
AndIsuccumbedtohisconviction。
\"Iftheycomeafterme,\"hesaid;\"Lord,iftheycomeafterme!\"andsubsidedintoagrimmeditation。
Isatcontemplatingthesethings。Icouldfindnothingtobringagainstthisman\'sreasoning。Inthedaysbeforetheinvasionnoonewouldhavequestionedmyintellectualsuperioritytohis——I,aprofessedandrecognisedwriteronphilosophicalthemes,andhe,acommonsoldier;andyethehadalreadyformulatedasituationthatIhadscarcelyrealised。
\"Whatareyoudoing?\"Isaidpresently。\"Whatplanshaveyoumade?\"
Hehesitated。
\"Well,it\'slikethis,\"hesaid。\"Whathavewetodo?Wehavetoinventasortoflifewheremencanliveandbreed,andbesufficientlysecuretobringthechildrenup。Yes——waitabit,andI\'llmakeitclearerwhatIthinkoughttobedone。Thetameoneswillgolikealltamebeasts;inafewgenera-tionsthey\'llbebig,beautiful,rich-blooded,stupid——rubbish!
Theriskisthatwewhokeepwildwillgosavage——de-generateintoasortofbig,savagerat……Yousee,howImeantoliveisunderground。I\'vebeenthinkingaboutthedrains。Ofcoursethosewhodon\'tknowdrainsthinkhorriblethings;butunderthisLondonaremilesandmiles——hundredsofmiles——andafewdays\"rainandLondonemptywillleavethemsweetandclean。Themaindrainsarebigenoughandairyenoughforanyone。Thenthere\'scellars,vaults,stores,fromwhichboltingpassagesmaybemadetothedrains。Andtherailwaytunnelsandsubways。Eh?Youbegintosee?
Andweformaband——able-bodied,clean-mindedmen。We\'renotgoingtopickupanyrubbishthatdriftsin。Weaklingsgooutagain。\"
\"Asyoumeantmetogo?\"
\"Well——lparleyed,didn\'tI?\"
\"Wewon\'tquarrelaboutthat。Goon。\"
\"Thosewhostopobeyorders。Able-bodied,clean-mindedwomenwewantalso——mothersandteachers。Nolackadaisicalladies——noblastedrollingeyes。Wecan\'thaveanyweakorsilly。Lifeisrealagain,andtheuselessandcumbersomeandmischievoushavetodie。Theyoughttodie。Theyoughttobewillingtodie。It\'sasortofdisloyalty,afterall,toliveandtainttherace。Andtheycan\'tbehappy。Moreover,dying\'snonesodreadful;
it\'sthefunkingmakesitbad。Andinallthoseplacesweshallgather。
OurdistrictwillbeLondon。Andwemayevenbeabletokeepawatch,andrunaboutintheopenwhentheMartianskeepaway。Playcricket,per-haps。
That\'showweshallsavetherace。Eh?It\'sapossiblething?Butsavingtheraceisnothinginitself。AsIsay,that\'sonlybeingrats。It\'ssavingourknowledgeandaddingtoitisthething。Theremenlikeyoucomein。
There\'sbooks,there\'smodels。Wemustmakegreatsafeplacesdowndeep,andgetallthebookswecan;notnovelsandpoetryswipes,butideas,sciencebooks。That\'swheremenlikeyoucomein。WemustgototheBritishMuseumandpickallthosebooksthrough。Especiallywemustkeepupourscience——learnmore。WemustwatchtheseMartians。Someofusmustgoasspies。Whenit\'sallworking,perhapsIwill。Getcaught,Imean。Andthegreatthingis,wemustleavetheMartiansalone。Wemustn\'tevensteal。
Ifwegetintheirway,weclearout。Wemustshowthemwemeannoharm。
Yes,Iknow。Butthey\'reintelligentthings,andtheywon\'thuntusdowniftheyhavealltheywant,andthinkwe\'rejustharmlessvermin。\"
Theartillerymanpausedandlaidabrownhanduponmyarm。
\"Afterall,itmaynotbesomuchwemayhavetolearnbefore——Justimaginethis:fourorfiveoftheirfightingmachinessuddenlystartingoff——Heat-Raysrightandleft,andnotaMartianin\'em。NotaMartianin\'em,butmen——menwhohavelearnedthewayhow。Itmaybeinmytime,even——thosemen。Fancyhavingoneofthemlovelythings,withitsHeat-Raywideandfree!Fancyhavingitincontrol!Whatwoulditmatterifyousmashedtosmithereensattheendoftherun,afterabustlikethat?I
reckontheMartians\'llopentheirbeautifuleyes!Can\'tyouseethem,man?
Can\'tyouseethemhurrying,hurrying——puffingandblowingandhootingtotheirothermechanicalaffairs?Somethingoutofgearineverycase。
Andswish,bang,rattle,swish!Justastheyarefum-blingoverit,SWISH
comestheHeat-Ray,and,behold!manhascomebacktohisown。\"
Forawhiletheimaginativedaringoftheartilleryman,andthetoneofassuranceandcourageheassumed,com-pletelydominatedmymind。I
believedunhesitatinglybothinhisforecastofhumandestinyandinthepracticabilityofhisastonishingscheme,andthereaderwhothinksmesus-ceptibleandfoolishmustcontrasthisposition,readingsteadilywithallhisthoughtsabouthissubject,andmine,crouchingfearfullyinthebushesandlistening,distractedbyapprehension。Wetalkedinthismannerthroughtheearlymorningtime,andlatercreptoutofthebushes,and,afterscanningtheskyforMartians,hurriedprecipitatelytothehouseonPutneyHillwherehehadmadehislair。Itwasthecoalcellaroftheplace,andwhenIsawtheworkhehadspentaweekupon——itwasaburrowscarcelytenyardslong,whichhedesignedtoreachtothemaindrainonPutneyHill——Ihadmyfirstinklingofthegulfbetweenhisdreamsandhispowers。SuchaholeIcouldhaveduginaday。ButIbelievedinhimsufficientlytoworkwithhimallthatmorninguntilpastmiddayathisdigging。Wehadagardenbarrowandshottheearthweremovedagainstthekitchenrange。Werefreshedourselveswithatinofmock-turtlesoupandwinefromtheneighbouringpantry。Ifoundacuriousrelieffromtheachingstrangenessoftheworldinthissteadylabour。Asweworked,I
turnedhisprojectoverinmymind,andpresentlyobjectionsanddoubtsbegantoarise;butIworkedthereallthemorning,sogladwasItofindmyselfwithapurposeagain。AfterworkinganhourIbegantospeculateonthedistanceonehadtogobeforethecloacawasreached,thechanceswehadofmissingitaltogether。Myimmediatetroublewaswhyweshoulddigthislongtunnel,whenitwaspossibletogetintothedrainatoncedownoneofthemanholes,andworkbacktothehouse。Itseemedtome,too,thatthehousewasinconvenientlychosen,andrequiredaneedlesslengthoftunnel。AndjustasIwasbeginningtofacethesethings,theartillerymanstoppeddigging,andlookedatme。
\"We\'reworkingwell,\"hesaid。Heputdownhisspade。\"Letusknockoffabit\"hesaid。\"Ithinkit\'stimewerecon-noitredfromtheroofofthehouse。\"
Iwasforgoingon,andafteralittlehesitationheresumedhisspade;
andthensuddenlyIwasstruckbyathought。Istopped,andsodidheatonce。
\"Whywereyouwalkingaboutthecommon,\"Isaid,\"insteadofbeinghere?\"
\"Takingtheair,\"hesaid。\"Iwascomingback。It\'ssaferbynight。\"
\"Butthework?\"
\"Oh,onecan\'talwayswork,\"hesaid,andinaflashIsawthemanplain。
Hehesitated,holdinghisspade。\"Weoughttoreconnoitrenow,\"hesaid,\"becauseifanycomeneartheymayhearthespadesanddropuponusunawares。\"
Iwasnolongerdisposedtoobject。Wewenttogethertotheroofandstoodonaladderpeepingoutoftheroofdoor。NoMartiansweretobeseen,andweventuredoutonthetiles,andslippeddownundershelteroftheparapet。
FromthispositionashrubberyhidthegreaterportionofPutney,butwecouldseetheriverbelow,abubblymassofredweed,andthelowpartsofLambethfloodedandred。Theredcreeperswarmedupthetreesabouttheoldpalace,andtheirbranchesstretchedgauntanddead,andsetwithshrivelledleaves,fromamiditsclusters。Itwasstrangehowentirelydependentboththesethingswereuponflowingwaterfortheirpropagation。
Aboutusneitherhadgainedafooting;laburnums,pinkmays,snowballs,andtreesofarbor-vitae,roseoutoflaurelsandhydrangeas,greenandbrilliantintothesunlight。BeyondKensingtondensesmokewasrising,andthatandabluehazehidthenorthwardhills。
TheartillerymanbegantotellmeofthesortofpeoplewhostillremainedinLondon。
\"Onenightlastweek,\"hesaid,\"somefoolsgottheelectriclightinorder,andtherewasallRegentStreetandtheCircusablaze,crowdedwithpaintedandraggeddrunkards,menandwomen,dancingandshoutingtilldawn。Amanwhowastheretoldme。Andasthedaycametheybecameawareofafighting-machinestandingnearbytheLanghamandlook-ingdownatthem。Heavenknowshowlonghehadbeenthere。Itmusthavegivensomeofthemanastyturn。Hecamedowntheroadtowardsthem,andpickedupnearlyahundredtoodrunkorfrightenedtorunaway。\"
Grotesquegleamofatimenohistorywilleverfullydescribe!
Fromthat,inanswertomyquestions,hecameroundtohisgrandioseplansagain。Hegrewenthusiastic。Hetalkedsoeloquentlyofthepossibilityofcapturingafighting-machinethatImorethanhalfbelievedinhimagain。ButnowthatIwasbeginningtounderstandsomethingofhisquality,Icoulddivinethestresshelaidondoingnothingprecipitately。AndI
notedthatnowtherewasnoquestionthathepersonallywastocaptureandfightthegreatmachine。
Afteratimewewentdowntothecellar。Neitherofusseemeddisposedtoresumedigging,andwhenhesuggestedameal,Iwasnothingloath。Hebecamesuddenlyverygenerous,andwhenwehadeatenhewentawayandreturnedwithsomeexcellentcigars。Welitthese,andhisoptimismglowed。Hewasinclinedtoregardmycomingasagreatoccasion。
\"There\'ssomechampagneinthecellar,\"hesaid。
\"WecandigbetteronthisThames-sideburgundy,\"saidI。
\"No,\"saidhe;\"Iamhosttoday。Champagne!GreatGod!We\'veaheavyenoughtaskbeforeus!Letustakearestandgatherstrengthwhilewemay。Lookattheseblisteredhands!\"
Andpursuanttothisideaofaholiday,heinsisteduponplayingcardsafterwehadeaten。Hetaughtmeeuchre,andafterdividingLondonbetweenus,Itakingthenorthernsideandhethesouthern,weplayedforparishpoints。Grotesqueandfoolishasthiswillseemtothesoberreader,itisabso-lutelytrue,andwhatismoreremarkable,Ifoundthecardgameandseveralothersweplayedextremelyinteresting。
Strangemindofman!that,withourspeciesupontheedgeofexterminationorappallingdegradation,withnoclearprospectbeforeusbutthechanceofahorribledeath,wecouldsitfollowingthechanceofthispaintedpasteboard,andplayingthe\"joker\"withvividdelight。Afterwardshetaughtmepoker,andIbeathimatthreetoughchessgames。Whendarkcamewedecidedtotaketherisk,andlitalamp。
Afteraninterminablestringofgames,wesupped,andtheartillerymanfinishedthechampagne。Wewentonsmokingthecigars。HewasnolongertheenergeticregeneratorofhisspeciesIhadencounteredinthemorning。
Hewasstilloptimistic,butitwasalesskinetic,amorethoughtfuloptimism。
Irememberhewoundupwithmyhealth,proposedinaspeechofsmallvarietyandconsiderableintermittence。Itookacigar,andwentupstairstolookatthelightsofwhichhehadspokenthatblazedsogreenlyalongtheHighgatehills。
AtfirstIstaredunintelligentlyacrosstheLondonvalley。Thenorthernhillswereshroudedindarkness;thefiresnearKensingtonglowedredly,andnowandthenanorange-redtongueofflameflashedupandvanishedinthedeepbluenight。AlltherestofLondonwasblack。Then,nearer,Iperceivedastrangelight,apale,violet-purplefluorescentglow,quiveringunderthenightbreeze。ForaspaceIcouldnotunderstandit,andthenIknewthatitmustbetheredweedfromwhichthisfaintirradiationproceeded。
Withthatrealisationmydormantsenseofwonder,mysenseoftheproportionofthings,awokeagain。IglancedfromthattoMars,redandclear,glowinghighinthewest,andthengazedlongandearnestlyatthedarknessofHampsteadandHighgate。
Iremainedaverylongtimeupontheroof,wonderingatthegrotesquechangesoftheday。Irecalledmymentalstatesfromthemidnightprayertothefoolishcard-playing。Ihadaviolentrevulsionoffeeling。IrememberIflungawaythecigarwithacertainwastefulsymbolism。Myfollycametomewithglaringexaggeration。Iseemedatraitortomywifeandtomykind;Iwasfilledwithremorse。Iresolvedtoleavethisstrangeundisciplineddreamerofgreatthingstohisdrinkandgluttony,andtogoonintoLondon。
There,itseemedtome,IhadthebestchanceoflearningwhattheMartiansandmyfellowmenweredoing。Iwasstillupontheroofwhenthelatemoonrose。
TheWaroftheWorlds-Book2-Chapter8Chapter8-DeadLondonAfterIhadpartedfromtheartilleryman,Iwentdownthehill,andbytheHighStreetacrossthebridgetoFulham。Theredweedwastumultuousatthattime,andnearlychokedthebridgeroadway;butitsfrondswerealreadywhitenedinpatchesbythespreadingdiseasethatpresentlyremoveditsoswiftly。
AtthecornerofthelanethatrunstoPutneyBridgestationIfoundamanlying。Hewasasblackasasweepwiththeblackdust,alive,buthelplesslyandspeechlesslydrunk。Icouldgetnothingfromhimbutcursesandfuriouslungesatmyhead。IthinkIshouldhavestayedbyhimbutforthebrutalexpressionofhisface。
Therewasblackdustalongtheroadwayfromthebridgeonwards,anditgrewthickerinFulham。Thestreetswerehorriblyquiet。Igotfood——sour,hard,andmouldy,butquiteeatable——inabaker\'sshophere。SomewaytowardsWalhamGreenthestreetsbecameclearofpowder,andIpassedawhiteterraceofhousesonfire;thenoiseoftheburningwasanabsoluterelief。GoingontowardsBrompton,thestreetswerequietagain。
HereIcameoncemoreupontheblackpowderinthestreetsandupondeadbodies。IsawaltogetheraboutadozeninthelengthoftheFulhamRoad。Theyhadbeendeadmanydays,sothatIhurriedquicklypastthem。
Theblackpowdercoveredthemover,andsoftenedtheiroutlines。Oneortwohadbeendisturbedbydogs。
Wheretherewasnoblackpowder,itwascuriouslylikeaSundayintheCity,withtheclosedshops,thehouseslockedupandtheblindsdrawn,thedesertion,andthestillness。Insomeplacesplunderershadbeenatwork,butrarelyatotherthantheprovisionandwineshops。Ajeweller\'swindowhadbeenbrokenopeninoneplace,butapparentlythethiefhadbeendisturbed,andanumberofgoldchainsandawatchlayscatteredonthepavement。Ididnottroubletotouchthem。Fartheronwasatatteredwomaninaheaponadoorstep;thehandthathungoverherkneewasgashedandbleddownherrustybrowndress,andasmashedmagnumofchampagneformedapoolacrossthepavement。Sheseemedasleep,butshewasdead。
ThefartherIpenetratedintoLondon,theprofoundergrewthestillness。
Butitwasnotsomuchthestillnessofdeath——itwasthestillnessofsuspense,ofexpectation。Atanytimethedestructionthathadalreadysingedthenorthwesternbordersofthemetropolis,andhadannihilatedEalingandKilburn,mightstrikeamongthesehousesandleavethemsmokingruins。Itwasacitycondemnedandderelict……
InSouthKensingtonthestreetswereclearofdeadandofblackpowder。
ItwasnearSouthKensingtonthatIfirstheardthehowling。Itcreptalmostimperceptiblyuponmysenses。Itwasasobbingalternationoftwonotes,\"Ulla,ulla,ulla,ulla,\"keepingonperpetually。WhenIpassedstreetsthatrannorthwarditgrewinvolume,andhousesandbuildingsseemedtodeadenandcutitoffagain。ItcameinafulltidedownExhibitionRoad。
Istopped,staringtowardsKensingtonGardens,wonderingatthisstrange,remotewailing。Itwasasifthatmightydesertofhouseshadfoundavoiceforitsfearandsolitude。
\"Ulla,ulla,ulla,ulla,\"wailedthatsuperhumannote——greatwavesofsoundsweepingdownthebroad,sunlitroad-way,betweenthetallbuildingsoneachside。Iturnednorth-wards,marvelling,towardstheirongatesofHydePark。IhadhalfamindtobreakintotheNaturalHistoryMuseumandfindmywayuptothesummitsofthetowers,inordertoseeacrossthepark。ButIdecidedtokeeptotheground,wherequickhidingwaspossible,andsowentonuptheExhibitionRoad。Allthelargemansionsoneachsideoftheroadwereemptyandstill,andmyfootstepsechoedagainstthesidesofthehouses。Atthetop,neartheparkgate,Icameuponastrangesight——abusoverturned,andtheskeletonofahorsepickedclean。Ipuzzledoverthisforatime,andthenwentontothebridgeovertheSerpentine。Thevoicegrewstrongerandstronger,thoughIcouldseenothingabovethehousetopsonthenorthsideofthepark,saveahazeofsmoketothenorthwest。
\"Ulla,ulla,ulla,ulla,\"criedthevoice,coming,asitseemedtome,fromthedistrictaboutRegent\'sPark。Thedesolatingcryworkeduponmymind。Themoodthathadsustainedmepassed。Thewailingtookpossessionofme。IfoundIwasintenselyweary,footsore,andnowagainhungryandthirsty。
Itwasalreadypastnoon。WhywasIwanderingaloneinthiscityofthedead?WhywasIalonewhenallLondonwaslyinginstate,andinitsblackshroud?Ifeltintolerablylonely。MymindranonoldfriendsthatIhadforgottenforyears。Ithoughtofthepoisonsinthechemists\"shops,oftheliquorsthewinemerchantsstored;Irecalledthetwosoddencreaturesofdespair,whosofarasIknew,sharedthecitywithmyself……
IcameintoOxfordStreetbytheMarbleArch,andhereagainwereblackpowderandseveralbodies,andanevil,ominoussmellfromthegratingsofthecellarsofsomeofthehouses。Igrewverythirstyaftertheheatofmylongwalk。WithinfinitetroubleImanagedtobreakintoapublic-houseandgetfoodanddrink。Iwaswearyaftereating,andwentintotheparlourbehindthebar,andsleptonablackhorse-hairsofaIfoundthere。
Iawoketofindthatdismalhowlingstillinmyears,\"Ulla,ulla,ulla,ulla。\"Itwasnowdusk,andafterIhadroutedoutsomebiscuitsandacheeseinthebar——therewasameatsafe,butitcontainednothingbutmaggots——Iwan-deredonthroughthesilentresidentialsquarestoBakerStreet——PortmanSquareistheonlyoneIcanname——andsocameoutatlastuponRegent\'sPark。AndasIemergedfromthetopofBakerStreet,IsawfarawayoverthetreesintheclearnessofthesunsetthehoodoftheMartiangiantfromwhichthishowlingproceeded。Iwasnotterrified。
Icameuponhimasifitwereamatterofcourse。Iwatchedhimforsometime,buthedidnotmove。Heappearedtobestandingandyelling,fornoreasonthatIcoulddiscover。
Itriedtoformulateaplanofaction。Thatperpetualsoundof\"Ulla,ulla,ulla,ulla,\"confusedmymind。PerhapsIwastootiredtobeveryfearful。CertainlyIwasmorecurioustoknowthereasonofthismonotonouscryingthanafraid。IturnedbackawayfromtheparkandstruckintoParkRoad,intendingtoskirtthepark,wentalongundertheshelteroftheterraces,andgotaviewofthisstationary,howlingMartianfromthedirectionofSt。John\'sWood。AcoupleofhundredyardsoutofBakerStreetIheardayelpingchorus,andsaw,firstadogwithapieceofputrescentredmeatinhisjawscomingheadlongtowardsme,andthenapackofstarvingmongrelsinpursuitofhim。Hemadeawidecurvetoavoidme,asthoughhefearedImightproveafreshcompetitor。Astheyelpingdiedawaydownthesilentroad,thewailingsoundof\"Ulla,ulla,ulla,ulla,\"reasserteditself。
Icameuponthewreckedhandling-machinehalfwaytoSt。John\'sWoodstation。AtfirstIthoughtahousehadfallenacrosstheroad。ItwasonlyasIclamberedamongtheruinsthatIsaw,withastart,thismechanicalSamsonlying,withitstentaclesbentandsmashedandtwisted,amongtheruinsithadmade。Theforepartwasshattered。Itseemedasifithaddrivenblindlystraightatthehouse,andhadbeenover-whelmedinitsoverthrow。
Itseemedtomethenthatthismighthavehappenedbyahandling-machineescapingfromtheguidanceofitsMartian。Icouldnotclamberamongtheruinstoseeit,andthetwilightwasnowsofaradvancedthatthebloodwithwhichitsseatwassmeared,andthegnawedgristleoftheMartianthatthedogshadleft,wereinvisibletome。
WonderingstillmoreatallthatIhadseen,IpushedontowardsPrimroseHill。Faraway,throughagapinthetrees,IsawasecondMartian,asmotionlessasthefirst,standingintheparktowardstheZoologicalGardens,andsilent。Alittlebeyondtheruinsaboutthesmashedhandling-machineIcameupontheredweedagain,andfoundtheRegent\'sCanal,aspongymassofdark-redvegetation。
AsIcrossedthebridge,thesoundof\"Ulla,ulla,ulla,ulla,\"ceased。
Itwas,asitwere,cutoff。Thesilencecamelikeathunderclap。
Theduskyhousesaboutmestoodfaintandtallanddim;thetreestowardstheparkweregrowingblack。Allaboutmetheredweedclamberedamongtheruins,writhingtogetabovemeinthedimness。Night,themotheroffearandmystery,wascominguponme。Butwhilethatvoicesoundedthesolitude,thedesolation,hadbeenendurable;byvirtueofitLondonhadstillseemedalive,andthesenseoflifeaboutmehadupheldme。Thensuddenlyachange,thepassingofsomething——Iknewnotwhat——andthenastillnessthatcouldbefelt。Nothingbutthisgauntquiet。
Londonaboutmegazedatmespectrally。Thewindowsinthewhitehouseswereliketheeyesocketsofskulls。Aboutmemyimaginationfoundathousandnoiselessenemiesmoving。Terrorseizedme,ahorrorofmytemerity。Infrontofmetheroadbecamepitchyblackasthoughitwastarred,andI
sawacontortedshapelyingacrossthepathway。Icouldnotbringmyselftogoon。IturneddownSt。John\'sWoodRoad,andranheadlongfromthisunendurablestillnesstowardsKilburn。Ihidfromthenightandthesilence,untillongaftermidnight,inacabmen\'sshelterinHarrowRoad。Butbeforethedawnmycouragereturned,andwhilethestarswerestillintheskyIturnedoncemoretowardsRegent\'sPark。Imissedmywayamongthestreets,andpresentlysawdownalongavenue,inthehalf-lightoftheearlydawn,thecurveofPrimroseHill。Onthesummit,toweringuptothefadingstars,wasathirdMartian,erectandmotionlessliketheothers。
Aninsaneresolvepossessedme。Iwoulddieandendit。AndIwouldsavemyselfeventhetroubleofkillingmyself。ImarchedonrecklesslytowardsthisTitan,andthen,asIdrewnearerandthelightgrew,Isawthatamultitudeofblackbirdswascirclingandclusteringaboutthehood。
Atthatmyheartgaveabound,andIbeganrunningalongtheroad。
IhurriedthroughtheredweedthatchokedSt。Edmund\'sTerrace(Iwadedbreast-highacrossatorrentofwaterthatwasrushingdownfromthewaterworkstowardstheAlbertRoad),andemergeduponthegrassbeforetherisingofthesun。Greatmoundshadbeenheapedaboutthecrestofthehill,makingahugeredoubtofit——itwasthefinalandlargestplacetheMartianshadmade——andfrombehindtheseheapsthereroseathinsmokeagainstthesky。
Againsttheskylineaneagerdogrananddisappeared。Thethoughtthathadflashedintomymindgrewreal,grewcredible。Ifeltnofear,onlyawild,tremblingexultation,asIranupthehilltowardsthemotionlessmonster。Outofthehoodhunglankshredsofbrown,atwhichthehungrybirdspeckedandtore。
InanothermomentIhadscrambleduptheearthenram-partandstooduponitscrest,andtheinterioroftheredoubtwasbelowme。Amightyspaceitwas,withgiganticmachineshereandtherewithinit,hugemoundsofmaterialandstrangeshelterplaces。Andscatteredaboutit,someintheirover-turnedwar-machines,someinthenowrigidhandling-machines,andadozenofthemstarkandsilentandlaidinarow,weretheMartians——DEAD!——slainbytheputrefactiveanddiseasebacteriaagainstwhichtheirsystemswereunpre-pared;slainastheredweedwasbeingslain;slain,afterallman\'sdeviceshadfailed,bythehumblestthingsthatGod,inhiswisdom,hasputuponthisearth。
Forsoithadcomeabout,asindeedIandmanymenmighthaveforeseenhadnotterroranddisasterblindedourminds。Thesegermsofdiseasehavetakentollofhumanitysincethebeginningofthings——takentollofourprehumanancestorssincelifebeganhere。Butbyvirtueofthisnaturalselectionofourkindwehavedevelopedresistingpower;tonogermsdowesuccumbwithoutastruggle,andtomany——thosethatcauseputrefactionindeadmatter,forinstance——ourlivingframesarealtogetherimmune。
ButtherearenobacteriainMars,anddirectlytheseinvadersarrived,directlytheydrankandfed,ourmicroscopicalliesbegantoworktheiroverthrow。AlreadywhenIwatchedthemtheywereirrevocablydoomed,dyingandrottingevenastheywenttoandfro。Itwasinevitable。Bythetollofabilliondeathsmanhasboughthisbirthrightoftheearth,anditishisagainstallcomers;itwouldstillbehisweretheMartianstentimesasmightyastheyare。Forneitherdomenlivenordieinvain。
Hereandtheretheywerescattered,nearlyfiftyaltogether,inthatgreatgulftheyhadmade,overtakenbyadeaththatmusthaveseemedtothemasincomprehensibleasanydeathcouldbe。Tomealsoatthattimethisdeathwasincompre-hensible。AllIknewwasthatthesethingsthathadbeenaliveandsoterribletomenweredead。ForamomentIbelievedthatthedestructionofSennacheribhadbeenrepeated,thatGodhadrepented,thattheAngelofDeathhadslaintheminthenight。
Istoodstaringintothepit,andmyheartlightenedglori-ously,evenastherisingsunstrucktheworldtofireaboutmewithhisrays。Thepitwasstillindarkness;themightyengines,sogreatandwonderfulintheirpowerandcom-plexity,sounearthlyintheirtortuousforms,roseweirdandvagueandstrangeoutoftheshadowstowardsthelight。Amultitudeofdogs,Icouldhear,foughtoverthebodiesthatlaydarklyinthedepthofthepit,farbelowme。Acrossthepitonitsfartherlip,flatandvastandstrange,laythegreatflying-machinewithwhichtheyhadbeenexperimentinguponourdenseratmospherewhendecayanddeatharrestedthem。Deathhadcomenotadaytoosoon。AtthesoundofacawingoverheadIlookedupatthehugefighting-machinethatwouldfightnomoreforever,atthetatteredredshredsoffleshthatdrippeddownupontheoverturnedseatsonthesummitofPrimroseHill。
Iturnedandlookeddowntheslopeofthehilltowhere,enhaloednowinbirds,stoodthoseothertwoMartiansthatIhadseenovernight,justasdeathhadovertakenthem。Theonehaddied,evenasithadbeencryingtoitscompanions;perhapsitwasthelasttodie,anditsvoicehadgoneonperpetuallyuntiltheforceofitsmachinerywasexhausted。Theyglitterednow,harmlesstripodtowersofshiningmetal,inthebrightnessoftherisingsun。
Allaboutthepit,andsavedasbyamiraclefromever-lastingdestruction,stretchedthegreatMotherofCities。ThosewhohaveonlyseenLondonveiledinhersombrerobesofsmokecanscarcelyimaginethenakedclearnessandbeautyofthesilentwildernessofhouses。
Eastward,overtheblackenedruinsoftheAlbertTerraceandthesplinteredspireofthechurch,thesunblazeddaz-zlinginaclearsky,andhereandtheresomefacetinthegreatwildernessofroofscaughtthelightandglaredwithawhiteintensity。
NorthwardwereKilburnandHampsted,blueandcrowdedwithhouses;westwardthegreatcitywasdimmed;andsouthward,beyondtheMartians,thegreenwavesofRegent\'sPark,theLanghamHotel,thedomeoftheAlbertHall,theImperialInstitute,andthegiantmansionsoftheBromptonRoadcameoutclearandlittleinthesunrise,thejaggedruinsofWestminsterrisinghazilybeyond。FarawayandblueweretheSurreyhills,andthetowersoftheCrystalPalaceglitteredliketwosilverrods。ThedomeofSt。Paul\'swasdarkagainstthesunrise,andinjured,Isawforthefirsttime,byahugegapingcavityonitswesternside。
AndasIlookedatthiswideexpanseofhousesandfac-toriesandchurches,silentandabandoned;asIthoughtofthemultitudinoushopesandefforts,theinnumerablehostsoflivesthathadgonetobuildthishumanreef,andoftheswiftandruthlessdestructionthathadhungoveritall;whenIrealisedthattheshadowhadbeenrolledback,andthatmenmightstillliveinthestreets,andthisdearvastdeadcityofminebeoncemorealiveandpowerful,Ifeltawaveofemotionthatwasnearakintotears。
Thetormentwasover。Eventhatdaythehealingwouldbegin。Thesurvivorsofthepeoplescatteredoverthecoun-try——leaderless,lawless,foodless,likesheepwithoutashep-herd——thethousandswhohadfledbysea,wouldbegintoreturn;thepulseoflife,growingstrongerandstronger,wouldbeatagainintheemptystreetsandpouracrossthevacantsquares。Whateverdestructionwasdone,thehandofthedestroyerwasstayed。Allthegauntwrecks,theblack-enedskeletonsofhousesthatstaredsodismallyatthesunlitgrassofthehill,wouldpresentlybeechoingwiththeham-
mersoftherestorersandringingwiththetappingoftheirtrowels。AtthethoughtIextendedmyhandstowardstheskyandbeganthankingGod。
Inayear,thoughtI——inayear……
Withoverwhelmingforcecamethethoughtofmyself,ofmywife,andtheoldlifeofhopeandtenderhelpfulnessthathadceasedforever。
TheWaroftheWorlds-Book2-Chapter9Chapter9-WreckageAndnowcomesthestrangestthinginmystory。Yet,perhaps,itisnotaltogetherstrange。Iremember,clearlyandcoldlyandvividly,allthatIdidthatdayuntilthetimethatIstoodweepingandpraisingGoduponthesummitofPrim-roseHill。AndthenIforget。
OfthenextthreedaysIknownothing。Ihavelearnedsincethat,sofarfrommybeingthefirstdiscovereroftheMartianoverthrow,severalsuchwanderersasmyselfhadalreadydiscoveredthisonthepreviousnight。
Oneman——thefirst——hadgonetoSt。Martin\'s-le-Grand,and,whileIshelteredinthecabmen\'shut,hadcontrivedtotelegraphtoParis。Thencethejoyfulnewshadflashedallovertheworld;athousandcities,chilledbyghastlyapprehensions,sud-denlyflashedintofranticilluminations;theyknewofitinDublin,Edinburgh,Manchester,Birmingham,atthetimewhenI
stooduponthevergeofthepit。Alreadymen,weep-ingwithjoy,asI
haveheard,shoutingandstayingtheirworktoshakehandsandshout,weremakinguptrains,evenasnearasCrewe,todescenduponLondon。Thechurchbellsthathadceasedafortnightsincesuddenlycaughtthenews,untilallEnglandwasbell-ringing。Menoncycles,lean-faced,unkempt,scorchedalongeverycountrylaneshoutingofunhopeddeliverance,shoutingtogaunt,staringfiguresofdespair。Andforthefood!AcrosstheChannel,acrosstheIrishSea,acrosstheAtlantic,corn,bread,andmeatweretearingtoourrelief。AlltheshippingintheworldseemedgoingLondonwardinthosedays。ButofallthisIhavenomemory。Idrifted——adementedman。
Ifoundmyselfinahouseofkindlypeople,whohadfoundmeonthethirddaywandering,weeping,andravingthroughthestreetsofSt。John\'sWood。
TheyhavetoldmesincethatIwassingingsomeinsanedoggerelabout\"TheLastManLeftAlive!Hurrah!TheLastManLeftAlive!\"Troubledastheywerewiththeirownaffairs,thesepeople,whosename,muchasIwouldliketoexpressmygratitudetothem,Imaynotevengivehere,neverthelesscumberedthemselveswithme,shelteredme,andprotectedmefrommyself。
Apparentlytheyhadlearnedsomethingofmystoryfrommeduringthedaysofmylapse。
Verygently,whenmymindwasassuredagain,didtheybreaktomewhattheyhadlearnedofthefateofLeather-head。TwodaysafterIwasimprisonedithadbeendestroyed,witheverysoulinit,byaMartian。Hehadsweptitoutofexistence,asitseemed,withoutanyprovocation,asaboymightcrushananthill,inthemerewantonnessofpower。
Iwasalonelyman,andtheywereverykindtome。Iwasalonelymanandasadone,andtheyborewithme。Iremainedwiththemfourdaysaftermyrecovery。AllthattimeIfeltavague,agrowingcravingtolookoncemoreonwhateverremainedofthelittlelifethatseemedsohappyandbrightinmypast。Itwasamerehopelessdesiretofeastuponmymisery。Theydissuadedme。Theydidalltheycouldtodivertmefromthismorbidity。
ButatlastIcouldresisttheimpulsenolonger,and,promisingfaithfullytoreturntothem,andparting,asIwillconfess,fromthesefour-dayfriendswithtears,Iwentoutagainintothestreetsthathadlatelybeensodarkandstrangeandempty。
Alreadytheywerebusywithreturningpeople;inplaceseventherewereshopsopen,andIsawadrinkingfountainrunningwater。
IrememberhowmockinglybrightthedayseemedasIwentbackonmymelancholypilgrimagetothelittlehouseatWoking,howbusythestreetsandvividthemovinglifeaboutme。Somanypeoplewereabroadeverywhere,busiedinathousandactivities,thatitseemedincrediblethatanygreatproportionofthepopulationcouldhavebeenslain。ButthenInoticedhowyellowweretheskinsofthepeopleImet,howshaggythehairofthemen,howlargeandbrighttheireyes,andthateveryothermanstillworehisdirtyrags。Theirfacesseemedallwithoneoftwoexpressions——aleapingexultationandenergyoragrimresolution。Savefortheexpressionofthefaces,Londonseemedacityoftramps。ThevestrieswereindiscriminatelydistributingbreadsentusbytheFrenchgovernment。Theribsofthefewhorsesshoweddismally。Haggardspecialconstableswithwhitebadgesstoodatthecornersofeverystreet。IsawlittleofthemischiefwroughtbytheMartiansuntilIreachedWelling-tonStreet,andthereIsawtheredweedclamberingoverthebuttressesofWaterlooBridge。
Atthecornerofthebridge,too,Isawoneofthecommoncontrastsofthatgrotesquetime——asheetofpaperflauntingagainstathicketoftheredweed,transfixedbyastickthatkeptitinplace。Itwastheplacardofthefirstnewspapertoresumepublication——theDAILYMAIL。IboughtacopyforablackenedshillingIfoundinmypocket。Mostofitwasinblank,butthesolitarycompositorwhodidthethinghadamusedhimselfbymakingagrotesqueschemeofad-vertisementstereoonthebackpage。
Thematterheprintedwasemotional;thenewsorganisationhadnotasyetfounditswayback。IlearnednothingfreshexceptthatalreadyinoneweektheexaminationoftheMartianmechanismshadyieldedastonishingresults。Amongotherthings,thearticleassuredmewhatIdidnotbelieveatthetime,thatthe\"SecretofFlying,\"wasdiscovered。AtWaterlooI
foundthefreetrainsthatweretakingpeopletotheirhomes。Thefirstrushwasalreadyover。Therewerefewpeopleinthetrain,andIwasinnomoodforcasualconversation。Igotacom-partmenttomyself,andsatwithfoldedarms,lookinggreylyatthesunlitdevastationthatflowedpastthewindows。Andjustoutsidetheterminusthetrainjoltedovertemporaryrails,andoneithersideoftherailwaythehouseswereblackenedruins。
ToClaphamJunctionthefaceofLondonwasgrimywithpowderoftheBlackSmoke,inspiteoftwodaysofthunderstormsandrain,andatClaphamJunc-
tionthelinehadbeenwreckedagain;therewerehundredsofout-of-workclerksandshopmenworkingsidebysidewiththecustomarynavvies,andwewerejoltedoverahastyrelaying。
Alldownthelinefromtheretheaspectofthecountrywasgauntandunfamiliar;Wimbledonparticularlyhadsuf-fered。Walton,byvirtueofitsunburnedpinewoods,seemedtheleasthurtofanyplacealongtheline。
TheWandle,theMole,everylittlestream,wasaheapedmassofredweed,inappearancebetweenbutcher\'smeatandpickledcabbage。TheSurreypinewoodsweretoodry,however,forthefestoonsoftheredclimber。BeyondWimbledon,withinsightoftheline,incertainnurserygrounds,weretheheapedmassesofearthaboutthesixthcylinder。Anumberofpeoplewerestandingaboutit,andsomesapperswerebusyinthemidstofit。OveritflauntedaUnionJack,flappingcheerfullyinthemorningbreeze。Thenurserygroundswereeverywherecrimsonwiththeweed,awideexpanseoflividcolourcutwithpurpleshadows,andverypainfultotheeye。One\'sgazewentwithinfiniterelieffromthescorchedgreysandsullenredsoftheforegroundtotheblue-greensoftnessoftheeastwardhills。
ThelineontheLondonsideofWokingstationwasstillundergoingrepair,soIdescendedatByfleetstationandtooktheroadtoMaybury,pasttheplacewhereIandtheartillerymanhadtalkedtothehussars,andonbythespotwheretheMartianhadappearedtomeinthethunderstorm。Here,movedbycuriosity,Iturnedasidetofind,amongatangleofredfronds,thewarpedandbrokendogcartwiththewhitenedbonesofthehorsescatteredandgnawed。ForatimeIstoodregardingthesevestiges……
ThenIreturnedthroughthepinewood,neck-highwithredweedhereandthere,tofindthelandlordoftheSpottedDoghadalreadyfoundburial,andsocamehomepasttheCollegeArms。AmanstandingatanopencottagedoorgreetedmebynameasIpassed。
Ilookedatmyhousewithaquickflashofhopethatfadedimmediately。
Thedoorhadbeenforced;itwasunfastandwasopeningslowlyasIapproached。
Itslammedagain。ThecurtainsofmystudyflutteredoutoftheopenwindowfromwhichIandtheartillerymanhadwatchedthedawn。Noonehadcloseditsince。ThesmashedbusheswerejustasIhadleftthemnearlyfourweeksago。Istumbledintothehall,andthehousefeltempty。ThestaircarpetwasruffledanddiscolouredwhereIhadcrouched,soakedtotheskinfromthethunderstormthenightofthecatastrophe。OurmuddyfootstepsIsawstillwentupthestairs。
Ifollowedthemtomystudy,andfoundlyingonmywriting-tablestill,withtheselenitepaperweightuponit,thesheetofworkIhadleftontheafternoonoftheopeningofthecylinder。ForaspaceIstoodreadingovermyaban-donedarguments。Itwasapaperontheprobabledevelop-
mentofMoralIdeaswiththedevelopmentofthecivilisingprocess;andthelastsentencewastheopeningofaprophecy:\"Inabouttwohundredyears,\"Ihadwritten,\"wemayexpect————\"Thesentenceendedabruptly。
Irememberedmyinabilitytofixmymindthatmorning,scarcelyamonthgoneby,andhowIhadbrokenofftogetmyDAILYCHRONICLEfromthenewsboy。
IrememberedhowIwentdowntothegardengateashecamealong,andhowIhadlistenedtohisoddstoryof\"MenfromMars。\"
Icamedownandwentintothediningroom。Therewerethemuttonandthebread,bothfargonenowindecay,andabeerbottleoverturned,justasIandtheartillerymanhadleftthem。Myhomewasdesolate。IperceivedthefollyofthefainthopeIhadcherishedsolong。Andthenastrangethingoccurred。\"Itisnouse,\"saidavoice。\"Thehouseisdeserted。Noonehasbeenherethesetendays。Donotstayheretotormentyourself。
Nooneescapedbutyou。\"
Iwasstartled。HadIspokenmythoughtaloud?Iturned,andtheFrenchwindowwasopenbehindme。Imadeasteptoit,andstoodlookingout。
Andthere,amazedandafraid,evenasIstoodamazedandafraid,weremycousinandmywife——mywifewhiteandtearless。Shegaveafaintcry。
\"Icame,\"shesaid。\"Iknew——knew————\"
Sheputherhandtoherthroat——swayed。Imadeastepforward,andcaughtherinmyarms。
TheWaroftheWorlds-Book2-Chapter10Chapter10-TheEpilogueIcannotbutregret,nowthatIamconcludingmystory,howlittleIamabletocontributetothediscussionofthemanydebatablequestionswhicharestillunsettled。InonerespectIshallcertainlyprovokecriticism。
Myparticularprovinceisspeculativephilosophy。Myknowledgeofcom-
parativephysiologyisconfinedtoabookortwo,butitseemstomethatCarver\'ssuggestionsastothereasonoftherapiddeathoftheMartiansissoprobableastoberegardedalmostasaprovenconclusion。Ihaveassumedthatinthebodyofmynarrative。
Atanyrate,inallthebodiesoftheMartiansthatwereexaminedafterthewar,nobacteriaexceptthosealreadyknownasterrestrialspecieswerefound。Thattheydidnotburyanyoftheirdead,andtherecklessslaughtertheyper-petrated,pointalsotoanentireignoranceoftheputrefactiveprocess。Butprobableasthisseems,itisbynomeansaprovenconclusion。
NeitheristhecompositionoftheBlackSmokeknown,whichtheMartiansusedwithsuchdeadlyeffect,andthegeneratoroftheHeat-Raysremainsapuzzle。TheterribledisastersattheEalingandSouthKensingtonlaboratorieshavedisinclinedanalystsforfurtherinvestigationsuponthelatter。Spectrumanalysisoftheblackpowderpointsunmistakablytothepresenceofanunknownelementwithabrilliantgroupofthreelinesinthegreen,anditispos-siblethatitcombineswithargontoformacompoundwhichactsatoncewithdeadlyeffectuponsomeconstituentintheblood。Butsuchunprovenspeculationswillscarcelybeofinteresttothegeneralreader,towhomthisstoryisaddressed。NoneofthebrownscumthatdrifteddowntheThamesafterthedestructionofSheppertonwasexaminedatthetime,andnownoneisforthcoming。
TheresultsofananatomicalexaminationoftheMartians,sofarastheprowlingdogshadleftsuchanexaminationpossible,Ihavealreadygiven。ButeveryoneisfamiliarwiththemagnificentandalmostcompletespecimeninspiritsattheNaturalHistoryMuseum,andthecountlessdrawingsthathavebeenmadefromit;andbeyondthattheinterestoftheirphysiologyandstructureispurelyscientific。
Aquestionofgraveranduniversalinterestisthepossi-bilityofanotherattackfromtheMartians。Idonotthinkthatnearlyenoughattentionisbeinggiventothisaspectofthematter。AtpresenttheplanetMarsisinconjunction,butwitheveryreturntooppositionI,forone,anticipatearenewaloftheiradventure。Inanycase,weshouldbeprepared。Itseemstomethatitshouldbepossibletodefinethepositionofthegunfromwhichtheshotsaredischarged,tokeepasustainedwatchuponthispartoftheplanet,andtoanticipatethearrivalofthenextattack。
Inthatcasethecylindermightbedestroyedwithdyna-miteorartillerybeforeitwassufficientlycoolfortheMar-tianstoemerge,ortheymightbebutcheredbymeansofgunssosoonasthescrewopened。Itseemstomethattheyhavelostavastadvantageinthefailureoftheirfirstsurprise。
Possiblytheyseeitinthesamelight。
LessinghasadvancedexcellentreasonsforsupposingthattheMartianshaveactuallysucceededineffectingalandingontheplanetVenus。Sevenmonthsagonow,VenusandMarswereinalignmentwiththesun;thatistosay,MarswasinoppositionfromthepointofviewofanobserveronVenus。Subsequentlyapeculiarluminousandsinuousmark-ingappearedontheunilluminedhalfoftheinnerplanet,andalmostsimultaneouslyafaintdarkmarkofasimilarsinuouscharacterwasdetecteduponaphotographoftheMartiandisk。Oneneedstoseethedrawingsoftheseap-pearancesinordertoappreciatefullytheirremarkableresemblanceincharacter。
Atanyrate,whetherweexpectanotherinvasionornot,ourviewsofthehumanfuturemustbegreatlymodifiedbytheseevents。WehavelearnednowthatwecannotregardthisplanetasbeingfencedinandasecureabidingplaceforMan;wecanneveranticipatetheunseengoodorevilthatmaycomeuponussuddenlyoutofspace。ItmaybethatinthelargerdesignoftheuniversethisinvasionfromMarsisnotwithoutitsultimatebenefitformen;ithasrobbedusofthatsereneconfidenceinthefuturewhichisthemostfruitfulsourceofdecadence,thegiftstohumanscienceithasbroughtareenormous,andithasdonemuchtopromotetheconceptionofthecommonwealofmankind。ItmaybethatacrosstheimmensityofspacetheMartianshavewatchedthefateofthesepioneersoftheirsandlearnedtheirlesson,andthatontheplanetVenustheyhavefoundasecurersettlement。
Bethatasitmay,formanyyearsyettherewillcertainlybenorelaxationoftheeagerscrutinyoftheMartiandisk,andthosefierydartsofthesky,theshootingstars,willbringwiththemastheyfallanunavoidableapprehensiontoallthesonsofmen。
Thebroadeningofmen\'sviewsthathasresultedcanscarcelybeexaggerated。
Beforethecylinderfelltherewasageneralpersuasionthatthroughallthedeepofspacenolifeexistedbeyondthepettysurfaceofourminutesphere。Nowweseefurther。IftheMartianscanreachVenus,thereisnoreasontosupposethatthethingisimpossibleformen,andwhentheslowcoolingofthesunmakesthisearthuninhabitable,asatlastitmustdo,itmaybethatthethreadoflifethathasbegunherewillhavestreamedoutandcaughtoursisterplanetwithinitstoils。
DimandwonderfulisthevisionIhaveconjuredupinmymindoflifespreadingslowlyfromthislittleseedbedofthesolarsystemthroughouttheinanimatevastnessofsiderealspace。Butthatisaremotedream。Itmaybe,ontheotherhand,thatthedestructionoftheMartiansisonlyareprieve。Tothem,andnottous,perhaps,isthefutureordained。
Imustconfessthestressanddangerofthetimehaveleftanabidingsenseofdoubtandinsecurityinmymind。Isitinmystudywritingbylamplight,andsuddenlyIseeagainthehealingvalleybelowsetwithwrithingflames,andfeelthehousebehindandaboutmeemptyanddesolate。IgooutintotheByfleetRoad,andvehiclespassme,abutcherboyinacart,acabfulofvisitors,aworkmanonabicycle,childrengoingtoschool,andsuddenlytheybecomevagueandunreal,andIhurryagainwiththeartillerymanthroughthehot,broodingsilence。OfanightIseetheblackpowderdarkeningthesilentstreets,andthecontortedbodiesshroudedinthatlayer;theyriseuponmetatteredanddog-bitten。Theygibberandgrowfiercer,paler,uglier,maddistortionsofhumanityatlast,andIwake,coldandwretched,inthedarknessofthenight。
IgotoLondonandseethebusymultitudesinFleetStreetandtheStrand,anditcomesacrossmymindthattheyarebuttheghostsofthepast,hauntingthestreetsthatIhaveseensilentandwretched,goingtoandfro,phan-
tasmsinadeadcity,themockeryoflifeinagalvanisedbody。Andstrange,too,itistostandonPrimroseHill,asIdidbutadaybeforewritingthislastchapter,toseethegreatprovinceofhouses,dimandbluethroughthehazeofthesmokeandmist,vanishingatlastintothevaguelowersky,toseethepeoplewalkingtoandfroamongtheflowerbedsonthehill,toseethesight-seersabouttheMar-tianmachinethatstandstherestill,tohearthetumultofplayingchildren,andtorecallthetimewhenIsawitallbrightandclear-cut,hardandsilent,underthedawnofthatlastgreatday……
Andstrangestofallisittoholdmywife\'shandagain,andtothinkthatIhavecountedher,andthatshehascountedme,amongthedead。