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ItisstillamatterofwonderhowtheMartiansareabletoslaymensoswiftlyandsosilently.
Manythinkthatinsomewaytheyareabletogenerateanintenseheatinachamberofpracticallyabsolutenon–conductivity.
Thisintenseheattheyprojectinaparallelbeamagainstanyobjecttheychoose,bymeansofapolishedparabolicmirrorofunknowncomposition,muchastheparabolicmirrorofalighthouseprojectsabeamoflight.
Butnoonehasabsolutelyprovedthesedetails.
Howeveritisdone,itiscertainthatabeamofheatistheessenceofthematter.
Heat,andinvisible,insteadofvisible,light.
Whateveriscombustibleflashesintoflameatitstouch,leadrunslikewater,itsoftensiron,cracksandmeltsglass,andwhenitfallsuponwater,incontinentlythatexplodesintosteam.
Thatnightnearlyfortypeoplelayunderthestarlightaboutthepit,charredanddistortedbeyondrecognition,andallnightlongthecommonfromHorselltoMayburywasdesertedandbrightlyablaze.
ThenewsofthemassacreprobablyreachedChobham,Woking,andOttershawaboutthesametime.
InWokingtheshopshadclosedwhenthetragedyhappened,andanumberofpeople,shoppeopleandsoforth,attractedbythestoriestheyhadheard,werewalkingovertheHorsellBridgeandalongtheroadbetweenthehedgesthatrunsoutatlastuponthecommon.
Youmayimaginetheyoungpeoplebrushedupafterthelaboursoftheday,andmakingthisnovelty,astheywouldmakeanynovelty,theexcuseforwalkingtogetherandenjoyingatrivialflirtation.
Youmayfiguretoyourselfthehumofvoicesalongtheroadinthegloaming....
Asyet,ofcourse,fewpeopleinWokingevenknewthatthecylinderhadopened,thoughpoorHendersonhadsentamessengeronabicycletothepostofficewithaspecialwiretoaneveningpaper.
Asthesefolkscameoutbytwosandthreesupontheopen,theyfoundlittleknotsofpeopletalkingexcitedlyandpeeringatthespinningmirroroverthesandpits,andthenewcomerswere,nodoubt,sooninfectedbytheexcitementoftheoccasion.
Byhalfpasteight,whentheDeputationwasdestroyed,theremayhavebeenacrowdofthreehundredpeopleormoreatthisplace,besidesthosewhohadlefttheroadtoapproachtheMartiansnearer.
Therewerethreepolicementoo,oneofwhomwasmounted,doingtheirbest,underinstructionsfromStent,tokeepthepeoplebackanddeterthemfromapproachingthecylinder.
Therewassomebooingfromthosemorethoughtlessandexcitablesoulstowhomacrowdisalwaysanoccasionfornoiseandhorse–play.
StentandOgilvy,anticipatingsomepossibilitiesofacollision,hadtelegraphedfromHorselltothebarracksassoonastheMartiansemerged,forthehelpofacompanyofsoldierstoprotectthesestrangecreaturesfromviolence.
Afterthattheyreturnedtoleadthatill–fatedadvance.
Thedescriptionoftheirdeath,asitwasseenbythecrowd,talliesverycloselywithmyownimpressions:thethreepuffsofgreensmoke,thedeephummingnote,andtheflashesofflame.
Butthatcrowdofpeoplehadafarnarrowerescapethanmine.
OnlythefactthatahummockofheatherysandinterceptedthelowerpartoftheHeat–Raysavedthem.
Hadtheelevationoftheparabolicmirrorbeenafewyardshigher,nonecouldhavelivedtotellthetale.
Theysawtheflashesandthemenfallingandaninvisiblehand,asitwere,litthebushesasithurriedtowardsthemthroughthetwilight.
Then,withawhistlingnotethatroseabovethedroningofthepit,thebeamswungcloseovertheirheads,lightingthetopsofthebeechtreesthatlinetheroad,andsplittingthebricks,smashingthewindows,firingthewindowframes,andbringingdownincrumblingruinaportionofthegableofthehousenearestthecorner.
Inthesuddenthud,hiss,andglareoftheignitingtrees,thepanic–strickencrowdseemstohaveswayedhesitatinglyforsomemoments.
Sparksandburningtwigsbegantofallintotheroad,andsingleleaveslikepuffsofflame.Hatsanddressescaughtfire.Thencameacryingfromthecommon.
Therewereshrieksandshouts,andsuddenlyamountedpolicemancamegallopingthroughtheconfusionwithhishandsclaspedoverhishead,screaming.
"They'recoming!"awomanshrieked,andincontinentlyeveryonewasturningandpushingatthosebehind,inordertocleartheirwaytoWokingagain.
Theymusthaveboltedasblindlyasaflockofsheep.
Wheretheroadgrowsnarrowandblackbetweenthehighbanksthecrowdjammed,andadesperatestruggleoccurred.
Allthatcrowddidnotescape;threepersonsatleast,twowomenandalittleboy,werecrushedandtrampledthere,andlefttodieamidtheterrorandthedarkness.
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