English
Themostextraordinarythingtomymind,ofallthestrangeandwonderfulthingsthathappeneduponthatFriday,wasthedovetailingofthecommonplacehabitsofoursocialorderwiththefirstbeginningsoftheseriesofeventsthatwastotopplethatsocialorderheadlong.
IfonFridaynightyouhadtakenapairofcompassesanddrawnacirclewitharadiusoffivemilesroundtheWokingsandpits,Idoubtifyouwouldhavehadonehumanbeingoutsideit,unlessitweresomerelationofStentorofthethreeorfourcyclistsorLondonpeoplelyingdeadonthecommon,whoseemotionsorhabitswereatallaffectedbythenew–comers.
Manypeoplehadheardofthecylinder,ofcourse,andtalkedaboutitintheirleisure,butitcertainlydidnotmakethesensationthatanultimatumtoGermanywouldhavedone.
InLondonthatnightpoorHenderson'stelegramdescribingthegradualunscrewingoftheshotwasjudgedtobeacanard,andhiseveningpaper,afterwiringforauthenticationfromhimandreceivingnoreply—themanwaskilled—decidednottoprintaspecialedition.
Evenwithinthefive–milecirclethegreatmajorityofpeoplewereinert.
IhavealreadydescribedthebehaviourofthemenandwomentowhomIspoke.
Alloverthedistrictpeoplewerediningandsupping;workingmenweregardeningafterthelaboursoftheday,childrenwerebeingputtobed,youngpeoplewerewanderingthroughthelaneslove–making,studentssatovertheirbooks.
Maybetherewasamurmurinthevillagestreets,anovelanddominanttopicinthepublic–houses,andhereandthereamessenger,orevenaneye–witnessofthelateroccurrences,causedawhirlofexcitement,ashouting,andarunningtoandfro;butforthemostpartthedailyroutineofworking,eating,drinking,sleeping,wentonasithaddoneforcountlessyears—asthoughnoplanetMarsexistedinthesky.
EvenatWokingstationandHorsellandChobhamthatwasthecase.
InWokingjunction,untilalatehour,trainswerestoppingandgoingon,otherswereshuntingonthesidings,passengerswerealightingandwaiting,andeverythingwasproceedinginthemostordinaryway.
Aboyfromthetown,trenchingonSmith'smonopoly,wassellingpaperswiththeafternoon'snews.
Theringingimpactoftrucks,thesharpwhistleoftheenginesfromthejunction,mingledwiththeirshoutsof"MenfromMars!"
Excitedmencameintothestationaboutnineo'clockwithincredibletidings,andcausednomoredisturbancethandrunkardsmighthavedone.
PeoplerattlingLondonwardspeeredintothedarknessoutsidethecarriagewindows,andsawonlyarare,flickering,vanishingsparkdanceupfromthedirectionofHorsell,aredglowandathinveilofsmokedrivingacrossthestars,andthoughtthatnothingmoreseriousthanaheathfirewashappening.
Itwasonlyroundtheedgeofthecommonthatanydisturbancewasperceptible.
TherewerehalfadozenvillasburningontheWokingborder.
Therewerelightsinallthehousesonthecommonsideofthethreevillages,andthepeopletherekeptawaketilldawn.
Acuriouscrowdlingeredrestlessly,peoplecomingandgoingbutthecrowdremaining,bothontheChobhamandHorsellbridges.
Oneortwoadventuroussouls,itwasafterwardsfound,wentintothedarknessandcrawledquiteneartheMartians;buttheyneverreturned,fornowandagainalight–ray,likethebeamofawarship'ssearchlightsweptthecommon,andtheHeat–Raywasreadytofollow.
Saveforsuch,thatbigareaofcommonwassilentanddesolate,andthecharredbodieslayaboutonitallnightunderthestars,andallthenextday.
Anoiseofhammeringfromthepitwasheardbymanypeople.
SoyouhavethestateofthingsonFridaynight.
Inthecentre,stickingintotheskinofouroldplanetEarthlikeapoisoneddart,wasthiscylinder.
Butthepoisonwasscarcelyworkingyet.
Arounditwasapatchofsilentcommon,smoulderinginplaces,andwithafewdark,dimlyseenobjectslyingincontortedattitudeshereandthere.
Hereandtherewasaburningbushortree.
Beyondwasafringeofexcitement,andfartherthanthatfringetheinflammationhadnotcreptasyet.
Intherestoftheworldthestreamoflifestillflowedasithadflowedforimmemorialyears.
Thefeverofwarthatwouldpresentlyclogveinandartery,deadennerveanddestroybrain,hadstilltodevelop.
AllnightlongtheMartianswerehammeringandstirring,sleepless,indefatigable,atworkuponthemachinestheyweremakingready,andeverandagainapuffofgreenish–whitesmokewhirleduptothestarlitsky.
AboutelevenacompanyofsoldierscamethroughHorsell,anddeployedalongtheedgeofthecommontoformacordon.
LaterasecondcompanymarchedthroughChobhamtodeployonthenorthsideofthecommon.
SeveralofficersfromtheInkermanbarrackshadbeenonthecommonearlierintheday,andone,MajorEden,wasreportedtobemissing.
ThecoloneloftheregimentcametotheChobhambridgeandwasbusyquestioningthecrowdatmidnight.
Themilitaryauthoritieswerecertainlyalivetotheseriousnessofthebusiness.
Abouteleven,thenextmorning'spaperswereabletosay,asquadronofhussars,twoMaxims,andaboutfourhundredmenoftheCardiganregimentstartedfromAldershot.
AfewsecondsaftermidnightthecrowdintheChertseyroad,Woking,sawastarfallfromheavenintothepinewoodstothenorthwest.
Ithadagreenishcolour,andcausedasilentbrightnesslikesummerlightning.Thiswasthesecondcylinder.
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