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AftertheglimpseIhadhadoftheMartiansemergingfromthecylinderinwhichtheyhadcometotheearthfromtheirplanet,akindoffascinationparalysedmyactions.
Iremainedstandingknee–deepintheheather,staringatthemoundthathidthem.
Iwasabattlegroundoffearandcuriosity.
Ididnotdaretogobacktowardsthepit,butIfeltapassionatelongingtopeerintoit.
Ibeganwalking,therefore,inabigcurve,seekingsomepointofvantageandcontinuallylookingatthesandheapsthathidthesenew–comerstoourearth.
Oncealeashofthinblackwhips,likethearmsofanoctopus,flashedacrossthesunsetandwasimmediatelywithdrawn,andafterwardsathinrodroseup,jointbyjoint,bearingatitsapexacirculardiskthatspunwithawobblingmotion.Whatcouldbegoingonthere?
Mostofthespectatorshadgatheredinoneortwogroups—onealittlecrowdtowardsWoking,theotheraknotofpeopleinthedirectionofChobham.
Evidentlytheysharedmymentalconflict.Therewerefewnearme.
OnemanIapproached—hewas,Iperceived,aneighbourofmine,thoughIdidnotknowhisname—andaccosted.
Butitwasscarcelyatimeforarticulateconversation.
"Whatuglybrutes!"hesaid."GoodGod!Whatuglybrutes!"Herepeatedthisoverandoveragain.
"Didyouseeamaninthepit?"Isaid;buthemadenoanswertothat.
Webecamesilent,andstoodwatchingforatimesidebyside,deriving,Ifancy,acertaincomfortinoneanother'scompany.
ThenIshiftedmypositiontoalittleknollthatgavemetheadvantageofayardormoreofelevationandwhenIlookedforhimpresentlyhewaswalkingtowardsWoking.
Thesunsetfadedtotwilightbeforeanythingfurtherhappened.
Thecrowdfarawayontheleft,towardsWoking,seemedtogrow,andIheardnowafaintmurmurfromit.
ThelittleknotofpeopletowardsChobhamdispersed.
Therewasscarcelyanintimationofmovementfromthepit.
Itwasthis,asmuchasanything,thatgavepeoplecourage,andIsupposethenewarrivalsfromWokingalsohelpedtorestoreconfidence.
Atanyrate,astheduskcameonaslow,intermittentmovementuponthesandpitsbegan,amovementthatseemedtogatherforceasthestillnessoftheeveningaboutthecylinderremainedunbroken.
Verticalblackfiguresintwosandthreeswouldadvance,stop,watch,andadvanceagain,spreadingoutastheydidsoinathinirregularcrescentthatpromisedtoenclosethepitinitsattenuatedhorns.
I,too,onmysidebegantomovetowardsthepit.
ThenIsawsomecabmenandothershadwalkedboldlyintothesandpits,andheardtheclatterofhoofsandthegrideofwheels.
Isawaladtrundlingoffthebarrowofapples.
Andthen,withinthirtyyardsofthepit,advancingfromthedirectionofHorsell,Inotedalittleblackknotofmen,theforemostofwhomwaswavingawhiteflag.
ThiswastheDeputation.Therehadbeenahastyconsultation,andsincetheMartianswereevidently,inspiteoftheirrepulsiveforms,intelligentcreatures,ithadbeenresolvedtoshowthem,byapproachingthemwithsignals,thatwetoowereintelligent.
Flutter,flutter,wenttheflag,firsttotheright,thentotheleft.
Itwastoofarformetorecogniseanyonethere,butafterwardsIlearnedthatOgilvy,Stent,andHendersonwerewithothersinthisattemptatcommunication.
Thislittlegrouphadinitsadvancedraggedinward,sotospeak,thecircumferenceofthenowalmostcompletecircleofpeople,andanumberofdimblackfiguresfolloweditatdiscreetdistances.
Suddenlytherewasaflashoflight,andaquantityofluminousgreenishsmokecameoutofthepitinthreedistinctpuffs,whichdroveup,oneaftertheother,straightintothestillair.
Thissmoke(orflame,perhaps,wouldbethebetterwordforit)wassobrightthatthedeepblueskyoverheadandthehazystretchesofbrowncommontowardsChertsey,setwithblackpinetrees,seemedtodarkenabruptlyasthesepuffsarose,andtoremainthedarkeraftertheirdispersal.
Atthesametimeafainthissingsoundbecameaudible.
Beyondthepitstoodthelittlewedgeofpeoplewiththewhiteflagatitsapex,arrestedbythesephenomena,alittleknotofsmallverticalblackshapesupontheblackground.
Asthegreensmokearose,theirfacesflashedoutpallidgreen,andfadedagainasitvanished.
Thenslowlythehissingpassedintoahumming,intoalong,loud,droningnoise.
Slowlyahumpedshaperoseoutofthepit,andtheghostofabeamoflightseemedtoflickeroutfromit.
Forthwithflashesofactualflame,abrightglareleapingfromonetoanother,sprangfromthescatteredgroupofmen.
Itwasasifsomeinvisiblejetimpingeduponthemandflashedintowhiteflame.
Itwasasifeachmanweresuddenlyandmomentarilyturnedtofire.
Then,bythelightoftheirowndestruction,Isawthemstaggeringandfalling,andtheirsupportersturningtorun.
Istoodstaring,notasyetrealisingthatthiswasdeathleapingfrommantomaninthatlittledistantcrowd.
AllIfeltwasthatitwassomethingverystrange.
Analmostnoiselessandblindingflashoflight,andamanfellheadlongandlaystill;andastheunseenshaftofheatpassedoverthem,pinetreesburstintofire,andeverydryfurzebushbecamewithonedullthudamassofflames.
AndfarawaytowardsKnaphillIsawtheflashesoftreesandhedgesandwoodenbuildingssuddenlysetalight.
Itwassweepingroundswiftlyandsteadily,thisflamingdeath,thisinvisible,inevitableswordofheat.
Iperceiveditcomingtowardsmebytheflashingbushesittouched,andwastooastoundedandstupefiedtostir.
Iheardthecrackleoffireinthesandpitsandthesuddensquealofahorsethatwasassuddenlystilled.
ThenitwasasifaninvisibleyetintenselyheatedfingerweredrawnthroughtheheatherbetweenmeandtheMartians,andallalongacurvinglinebeyondthesandpitsthedarkgroundsmokedandcrackled.
SomethingfellwithacrashfarawaytotheleftwheretheroadfromWokingstationopensoutonthecommon.
Forth–withthehissingandhummingceased,andtheblack,dome–likeobjectsankslowlyoutofsightintothepit.
AllthishadhappenedwithsuchswiftnessthatIhadstoodmotionless,dumbfoundedanddazzledbytheflashesoflight.
Hadthatdeathsweptthroughafullcircle,itmustinevitablyhaveslainmeinmysurprise.
Butitpassedandsparedme,andleftthenightaboutmesuddenlydarkandunfamiliar.
Theundulatingcommonseemednowdarkalmosttoblackness,exceptwhereitsroadwayslaygreyandpaleunderthedeepblueskyoftheearlynight.Itwasdark,andsuddenlyvoidofmen.
Overheadthestarsweremustering,andinthewesttheskywasstillapale,bright,almostgreenishblue.
ThetopsofthepinetreesandtheroofsofHorsellcameoutsharpandblackagainstthewesternafterglow.
TheMartiansandtheirapplianceswerealtogetherinvisible,saveforthatthinmastuponwhichtheirrestlessmirrorwobbled.
Patchesofbushandisolatedtreeshereandtheresmokedandglowedstill,andthehousestowardsWokingstationweresendingupspiresofflameintothestillnessoftheeveningair.
Nothingwaschangedsaveforthatandaterribleastonishment.
Thelittlegroupofblackspeckswiththeflagofwhitehadbeensweptoutofexistence,andthestillnessoftheevening,soitseemedtome,hadscarcelybeenbroken.
ItcametomethatIwasuponthisdarkcommon,helpless,unprotected,andalone.Suddenly,likeathingfallinguponmefromwithout,came—fear.
WithaneffortIturnedandbeganastumblingrunthroughtheheather.
ThefearIfeltwasnorationalfear,butapanicterrornotonlyoftheMartians,butoftheduskandstillnessallaboutme.
SuchanextraordinaryeffectinunmanningmeithadthatIranweepingsilentlyasachildmightdo.
OnceIhadturned,Ididnotdaretolookback.
IrememberIfeltanextraordinarypersuasionthatIwasbeingplayedwith,thatpresently,whenIwasupontheveryvergeofsafety,thismysteriousdeath—asswiftasthepassageoflight—wouldleapaftermefromthepitaboutthecylinderandstrikemedown.
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