Noonewouldhavebelievedinthelastyearsofthenineteenthcenturythatthisworldwasbeingwatchedkeenlyandcloselybyintelligencesgreaterthanman'sandyetasmortalashisown;thatasmenbusiedthemselvesabouttheirvariousconcernstheywerescrutinisedandstudied,perhapsalmostasnarrowlyasamanwithamicroscopemightscrutinisethetransientcreaturesthatswarmandmultiplyinadropofwater.
Withinfinitecomplacencymenwenttoandfrooverthisglobeabouttheirlittleaffairs,sereneintheirassuranceoftheirempireovermatter.
Noonegaveathoughttotheolderworldsofspaceassourcesofhumandanger,orthoughtofthemonlytodismisstheideaoflifeuponthemasimpossibleorimprobable.
AtmostterrestrialmenfanciedtheremightbeothermenuponMars,perhapsinferiortothemselvesandreadytowelcomeamissionaryenterprise.
Yetacrossthegulfofspace,mindsthataretoourmindsasoursaretothoseofthebeaststhatperish,intellectsvastandcoolandunsympathetic,regardedthisearthwithenviouseyes,andslowlyandsurelydrewtheirplansagainstus.
TheplanetMars,Iscarcelyneedremindthereader,revolvesaboutthesunatameandistanceof140,000,000miles,andthelightandheatitreceivesfromthesunisbarelyhalfofthatreceivedbythisworld.
Itmustbe,ifthenebularhypothesishasanytruth,olderthanourworld;andlongbeforethisearthceasedtobemolten,lifeuponitssurfacemusthavebegunitscourse.
Thefactthatitisscarcelyoneseventhofthevolumeoftheearthmusthaveaccelerateditscoolingtothetemperatureatwhichlifecouldbegin.
Yetsovainisman,andsoblindedbyhisvanity,thatnowriter,uptotheveryendofthenineteenthcentury,expressedanyideathatintelligentlifemighthavedevelopedtherefar,orindeedatall,beyonditsearthlylevel.
NorwasitgenerallyunderstoodthatsinceMarsisolderthanourearth,withscarcelyaquarterofthesuperficialareaandremoterfromthesun,itnecessarilyfollowsthatitisnotonlymoredistantfromtime'sbeginningbutneareritsend.
Itsphysicalconditionisstilllargelyamystery,butweknownowthateveninitsequatorialregionthemiddaytemperaturebarelyapproachesthatofourcoldestwinter.
Itsairismuchmoreattenuatedthanours,itsoceanshaveshrunkuntiltheycoverbutathirdofitssurface,andasitsslowseasonschangehugesnowcapsgatherandmeltabouteitherpoleandperiodicallyinundateitstemperatezones.
Thatlaststageofexhaustion,whichtousisstillincrediblyremote,hasbecomeapresent–dayproblemfortheinhabitantsofMars.
Theimmediatepressureofnecessityhasbrightenedtheirintellects,enlargedtheirpowers,andhardenedtheirhearts.
Andlookingacrossspacewithinstruments,andintelligencessuchaswehavescarcelydreamedof,theysee,atitsnearestdistanceonly35,000,000ofmilessunwardofthem,amorningstarofhope,ourownwarmerplanet,greenwithvegetationandgreywithwater,withacloudyatmosphereeloquentoffertility,withglimpsesthroughitsdriftingcloudwispsofbroadstretchesofpopulouscountryandnarrow,navy–crowdedseas.
Andwemen,thecreatureswhoinhabitthisearth,mustbetothematleastasalienandlowlyasarethemonkeysandlemurstous.
Theintellectualsideofmanalreadyadmitsthatlifeisanincessantstruggleforexistence,anditwouldseemthatthistooisthebeliefofthemindsuponMars.
Theirworldisfargoneinitscoolingandthisworldisstillcrowdedwithlife,butcrowdedonlywithwhattheyregardasinferioranimals.
Tocarrywarfaresunwardis,indeed,theironlyescapefromthedestructionthat,generationaftergeneration,creepsuponthem.
Andbeforewejudgeofthemtooharshlywemustrememberwhatruthlessandutterdestructionourownspecieshaswrought,notonlyuponanimals,suchasthevanishedbisonandthedodo,butuponitsinferiorraces.
TheTasmanians,inspiteoftheirhumanlikeness,wereentirelysweptoutofexistenceinawarofexterminationwagedbyEuropeanimmigrants,inthespaceoffiftyyears.
TheMartiansseemtohavecalculatedtheirdescentwithamazingsubtlety—theirmathematicallearningisevidentlyfarinexcessofours—andtohavecarriedouttheirpreparationswithawell–nighperfectunanimity.
MenlikeSchiaparelliwatchedtheredplanet—itisodd,by–the–bye,thatforcountlesscenturiesMarshasbeenthestarofwar—butfailedtointerpretthefluctuatingappearancesofthemarkingstheymappedsowell.
Duringtheoppositionof1894agreatlightwasseenontheilluminatedpartofthedisk,firstattheLickObservatory,thenbyPerrotinofNice,andthenbyotherobservers.
Iaminclinedtothinkthatthisblazemayhavebeenthecastingofthehugegun,inthevastpitsunkintotheirplanet,fromwhichtheirshotswerefiredatus.
AsMarsapproachedopposition,LavelleofJavasetthewiresoftheastronomicalexchangepalpitatingwiththeamazingintelligenceofahugeoutbreakofincandescentgasupontheplanet.
Ithadoccurredtowardsmidnightofthetwelfth;andthespectroscope,towhichhehadatonceresorted,indicatedamassofflaminggas,chieflyhydrogen,movingwithanenormousvelocitytowardsthisearth.
Hecomparedittoacolossalpuffofflamesuddenlyandviolentlysquirtedoutoftheplanet,"asflaminggasesrushedoutofagun."
YetthenextdaytherewasnothingofthisinthepapersexceptalittlenoteintheDailyTelegraph,andtheworldwentinignoranceofoneofthegravestdangersthateverthreatenedthehumanrace.
Hewasimmenselyexcitedatthenews,andintheexcessofhisfeelingsinvitedmeuptotakeaturnwithhimthatnightinascrutinyoftheredplanet.
Inspiteofallthathashappenedsince,Istillrememberthatvigilverydistinctly:theblackandsilentobservatory,theshadowedlanternthrowingafeebleglowuponthefloorinthecorner,thesteadytickingoftheclockworkofthetelescope,thelittleslitintheroof—anoblongprofunditywiththestarduststreakedacrossit.
Itseemedsuchalittlething,sobrightandsmallandstill,faintlymarkedwithtransversestripes,andslightlyflattenedfromtheperfectround.
Itwasasifitquivered,butreallythiswasthetelescopevibratingwiththeactivityoftheclockworkthatkepttheplanetinview.
AsIwatched,theplanetseemedtogrowlargerandsmallerandtoadvanceandrecede,butthatwassimplythatmyeyewastired.
Nearitinthefield,Iremember,werethreefaintpointsoflight,threetelescopicstarsinfinitelyremote,andallarounditwastheunfathomabledarknessofemptyspace.
Andinvisibletomebecauseitwassoremoteandsmall,flyingswiftlyandsteadilytowardsmeacrossthatincredibledistance,drawingnearereveryminutebysomanythousandsofmiles,cametheThingtheyweresendingus,theThingthatwastobringsomuchstruggleandcalamityanddeathtotheearth.
Areddishflashattheedge,theslightestprojectionoftheoutlinejustasthechronometerstruckmidnight;andatthatItoldOgilvyandhetookmyplace.
ThenightwaswarmandIwasthirsty,andIwentstretchingmylegsclumsilyandfeelingmywayinthedarkness,tothelittletablewherethesiphonstood,whileOgilvyexclaimedatthestreamerofgasthatcameouttowardsus.
ThatnightanotherinvisiblemissilestartedonitswaytotheearthfromMars,justasecondorsoundertwenty–fourhoursafterthefirstone.
IwishedIhadalighttosmokeby,littlesuspectingthemeaningoftheminutegleamIhadseenandallthatitwouldpresentlybringme.
HewasfullofspeculationthatnightabouttheconditionofMars,andscoffedatthevulgarideaofitshavinginhabitantswhoweresignallingus.
Hisideawasthatmeteoritesmightbefallinginaheavyshowerupontheplanet,orthatahugevolcanicexplosionwasinprogress.
Hepointedouttomehowunlikelyitwasthatorganicevolutionhadtakenthesamedirectioninthetwoadjacentplanets.
Hundredsofobserverssawtheflamethatnightandthenightafteraboutmidnight,andagainthenightafter;andsofortennights,aflameeachnight.
Densecloudsofsmokeordust,visiblethroughapowerfultelescopeonearthaslittlegrey,fluctuatingpatches,spreadthroughtheclearnessoftheplanet'satmosphereandobscureditsmorefamiliarfeatures.
Eventhedailypaperswokeuptothedisturbancesatlast,andpopularnotesappearedhere,there,andeverywhereconcerningthevolcanoesuponMars.
And,allunsuspected,thosemissilestheMartianshadfiredatusdrewearthward,rushingnowatapaceofmanymilesasecondthroughtheemptygulfofspace,hourbyhouranddaybyday,nearerandnearer.
Itseemstomenowalmostincrediblywonderfulthat,withthatswiftfatehangingoverus,mencouldgoabouttheirpettyconcernsastheydid.
IrememberhowjubilantMarkhamwasatsecuringanewphotographoftheplanetfortheillustratedpaperheeditedinthosedays.
Formyownpart,Iwasmuchoccupiedinlearningtoridethebicycle,andbusyuponaseriesofpapersdiscussingtheprobabledevelopmentsofmoralideasascivilisationprogressed.
ItwasstarlightandIexplainedtheSignsoftheZodiactoher,andpointedoutMars,abrightdotoflightcreepingzenithward,towardswhichsomanytelescopeswerepointed.Itwasawarmnight.
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