English
HadtheMartiansaimedonlyatdestruction,theymightonMondayhaveannihilatedtheentirepopulationofLondon,asitspreaditselfslowlythroughthehomecounties.
NotonlyalongtheroadthroughBarnet,butalsothroughEdgwareandWalthamAbbey,andalongtheroadseastwardtoSouthendandShoeburyness,andsouthoftheThamestoDealandBroadstairs,pouredthesamefranticrout.
IfonecouldhavehungthatJunemorninginaballoonintheblazingblueaboveLondoneverynorthwardandeastwardroadrunningoutofthetangledmazeofstreetswouldhaveseemedstippledblackwiththestreamingfugitives,eachdotahumanagonyofterrorandphysicaldistress.
Ihavesetforthatlengthinthelastchaptermybrother'saccountoftheroadthroughChippingBarnet,inorderthatmyreadersmayrealisehowthatswarmingofblackdotsappearedtooneofthoseconcerned.
Neverbeforeinthehistoryoftheworldhadsuchamassofhumanbeingsmovedandsufferedtogether.
ThelegendaryhostsofGothsandHuns,thehugestarmiesAsiahaseverseen,wouldhavebeenbutadropinthatcurrent.
Andthiswasnodisciplinedmarch;itwasastampede—astampedegiganticandterrible—withoutorderandwithoutagoal,sixmillionpeopleunarmedandunprovisioned,drivingheadlong.
Itwasthebeginningoftheroutofcivilisation,ofthemassacreofmankind.
Directlybelowhimtheballoonistwouldhaveseenthenetworkofstreetsfarandwide,houses,churches,squares,crescents,gardens—alreadyderelict—spreadoutlikeahugemap,andinthesouthwardblotted.
OverEaling,Richmond,Wimbledon,itwouldhaveseemedasifsomemonstrouspenhadflunginkuponthechart.
Steadily,incessantly,eachblacksplashgrewandspread,shootingoutramificationsthiswayandthat,nowbankingitselfagainstrisingground,nowpouringswiftlyoveracrestintoanew–foundvalley,exactlyasagoutofinkwouldspreaditselfuponblottingpaper.
Andbeyond,overthebluehillsthatrisesouthwardoftheriver,theglitteringMartianswenttoandfro,calmlyandmethodicallyspreadingtheirpoisoncloudoverthispatchofcountryandthenoverthat,layingitagainwiththeirsteamjetswhenithadserveditspurpose,andtakingpossessionoftheconqueredcountry.
Theydonotseemtohaveaimedatexterminationsomuchasatcompletedemoralisationandthedestructionofanyopposition.
Theyexplodedanystoresofpowdertheycameupon,cuteverytelegraph,andwreckedtherailwayshereandthere.Theywerehamstringingmankind.
Theyseemedinnohurrytoextendthefieldoftheiroperations,anddidnotcomebeyondthecentralpartofLondonallthatday.
ItispossiblethataveryconsiderablenumberofpeopleinLondonstucktotheirhousesthroughMondaymorning.
CertainitisthatmanydiedathomesuffocatedbytheBlackSmoke.
UntilaboutmiddaythePoolofLondonwasanastonishingscene.
Steamboatsandshippingofallsortslaythere,temptedbytheenormoussumsofmoneyofferedbyfugitives,anditissaidthatmanywhoswamouttothesevesselswerethrustoffwithboathooksanddrowned.
Aboutoneo'clockintheafternoonthethinningremnantofacloudoftheblackvapourappearedbetweenthearchesofBlackfriarsBridge.
AtthatthePoolbecameasceneofmadconfusion,fighting,andcollision,andforsometimeamultitudeofboatsandbargesjammedinthenorthernarchoftheTowerBridge,andthesailorsandlightermenhadtofightsavagelyagainstthepeoplewhoswarmeduponthemfromtheriverfront.
Peoplewereactuallyclamberingdownthepiersofthebridgefromabove.
When,anhourlater,aMartianappearedbeyondtheClockTowerandwadeddowntheriver,nothingbutwreckagefloatedaboveLimehouse.
OfthefallingofthefifthcylinderIhavepresentlytotell.ThesixthstarfellatWimbledon.
Mybrother,keepingwatchbesidethewomeninthechaiseinameadow,sawthegreenflashofitfarbeyondthehills.
OnTuesdaythelittleparty,stillsetupongettingacrossthesea,madeitswaythroughtheswarmingcountrytowardsColchester.
ThenewsthattheMartianswerenowinpossessionofthewholeofLondonwasconfirmed.
TheyhadbeenseenatHighgate,andeven,itwassaid,atNeasden.
Buttheydidnotcomeintomybrother'sviewuntilthemorrow.
Thatdaythescatteredmultitudesbegantorealisetheurgentneedofprovisions.
Astheygrewhungrytherightsofpropertyceasedtoberegarded.
Farmerswereouttodefendtheircattle–sheds,granaries,andripeningrootcropswitharmsintheirhands.
Anumberofpeoplenow,likemybrother,hadtheirfaceseastward,andthereweresomedesperatesoulsevengoingbacktowardsLondontogetfood.
Thesewerechieflypeoplefromthenorthernsuburbs,whoseknowledgeoftheBlackSmokecamebyhearsay.
HeheardthatabouthalfthemembersofthegovernmenthadgatheredatBirmingham,andthatenormousquantitiesofhighexplosiveswerebeingpreparedtobeusedinautomaticminesacrosstheMidlandcounties.
HewasalsotoldthattheMidlandRailwayCompanyhadreplacedthedesertionsofthefirstday'spanic,hadresumedtraffic,andwasrunningnorthwardtrainsfromSt.Albanstorelievethecongestionofthehomecounties.
TherewasalsoaplacardinChippingOngarannouncingthatlargestoresofflourwereavailableinthenortherntownsandthatwithintwenty–fourhoursbreadwouldbedistributedamongthestarvingpeopleintheneighbourhood.
Butthisintelligencedidnotdeterhimfromtheplanofescapehehadformed,andthethreepressedeastwardallday,andheardnomoreofthebreaddistributionthanthispromise.
Nor,asamatteroffact,didanyoneelsehearmoreofit.
Thatnightfelltheseventhstar,fallinguponPrimroseHill.
ItfellwhileMissElphinstonewaswatching,forshetookthatdutyalternatelywithmybrother.Shesawit.
OnWednesdaythethreefugitives—theyhadpassedthenightinafieldofunripewheat—reachedChelmsford,andthereabodyoftheinhabitants,callingitselftheCommitteeofPublicSupply,seizedtheponyasprovisions,andwouldgivenothinginexchangeforitbutthepromiseofashareinitthenextday.
HeretherewererumoursofMartiansatEpping,andnewsofthedestructionofWalthamAbbeyPowderMillsinavainattempttoblowuponeoftheinvaders.
PeoplewerewatchingforMartiansherefromthechurchtowers.
Mybrother,veryluckilyforhimasitchanced,preferredtopushonatoncetothecoastratherthanwaitforfood,althoughallthreeofthemwereveryhungry.
BymiddaytheypassedthroughTillingham,which,strangelyenough,seemedtobequitesilentanddeserted,saveforafewfurtiveplunderershuntingforfood.
NearTillinghamtheysuddenlycameinsightofthesea,andthemostamazingcrowdofshippingofallsortsthatitispossibletoimagine.
ForafterthesailorscouldnolongercomeuptheThames,theycameontotheEssexcoast,toHarwichandWaltonandClacton,andafterwardstoFoulnessandShoebury,tobringoffthepeople.
Theylayinahugesickle–shapedcurvethatvanishedintomistatlasttowardstheNaze.
Closeinshorewasamultitudeoffishingsmacks—English,Scotch,French,Dutch,andSwedish;steamlaunchesfromtheThames,yachts,electricboats;andbeyondwereshipsoflargeburden,amultitudeoffilthycolliers,trimmerchantmen,cattleships,passengerboats,petroleumtanks,oceantramps,anoldwhitetransporteven,neatwhiteandgreylinersfromSouthamptonandHamburg;andalongthebluecoastacrosstheBlackwatermybrothercouldmakeoutdimlyadenseswarmofboatschafferingwiththepeopleonthebeach,aswarmwhichalsoextendeduptheBlackwateralmosttoMaldon.
Aboutacoupleofmilesoutlayanironclad,verylowinthewater,almost,tomybrother'sperception,likeawater–loggedship.ThiswastheramThunderChild.
Itwastheonlywarshipinsight,butfarawaytotherightoverthesmoothsurfaceofthesea—forthatdaytherewasadeadcalm—layaserpentofblacksmoketomarkthenextironcladsoftheChannelFleet,whichhoveredinanextendedline,steamupandreadyforaction,acrosstheThamesestuaryduringthecourseoftheMartianconquest,vigilantandyetpowerlesstopreventit.
Atthesightofthesea,Mrs.Elphinstone,inspiteoftheassurancesofhersister–in–law,gavewaytopanic.
ShehadneverbeenoutofEnglandbefore,shewouldratherdiethantrustherselffriendlessinaforeigncountry,andsoforth.
Sheseemed,poorwoman,toimaginethattheFrenchandtheMartiansmightproveverysimilar.
Shehadbeengrowingincreasinglyhysterical,fearful,anddepressedduringthetwodays'journeyings.
HergreatideawastoreturntoStanmore.
ThingshadbeenalwayswellandsafeatStanmore.TheywouldfindGeorgeatStanmore.
Itwaswiththegreatestdifficultytheycouldgetherdowntothebeach,wherepresentlymybrothersucceededinattractingtheattentionofsomemenonapaddlesteamerfromtheThames.
Theysentaboatanddroveabargainforthirty–sixpoundsforthethree.
Thesteamerwasgoing,thesemensaid,toOstend.
Itwasabouttwoo'clockwhenmybrother,havingpaidtheirfaresatthegangway,foundhimselfsafelyaboardthesteamboatwithhischarges.
Therewasfoodaboard,albeitatexorbitantprices,andthethreeofthemcontrivedtoeatamealononeoftheseatsforward.
Therewerealreadyacoupleofscoreofpassengersaboard,someofwhomhadexpendedtheirlastmoneyinsecuringapassage,butthecaptainlayofftheBlackwateruntilfiveintheafternoon,pickinguppassengersuntiltheseateddeckswereevendangerouslycrowded.
Hewouldprobablyhaveremainedlongerhaditnotbeenforthesoundofgunsthatbeganaboutthathourinthesouth.
Asifinanswer,theironcladseawardfiredasmallgunandhoistedastringofflags.
Ajetofsmokesprangoutofherfunnels.
SomeofthepassengerswereofopinionthatthisfiringcamefromShoeburyness,untilitwasnoticedthatitwasgrowinglouder.
Atthesametime,farawayinthesoutheastthemastsandupperworksofthreeironcladsroseoneaftertheotheroutofthesea,beneathcloudsofblacksmoke.
Butmybrother'sattentionspeedilyrevertedtothedistantfiringinthesouth.
Hefanciedhesawacolumnofsmokerisingoutofthedistantgreyhaze.
Thelittlesteamerwasalreadyflappingherwayeastwardofthebigcrescentofshipping,andthelowEssexcoastwasgrowingblueandhazy,whenaMartianappeared,smallandfaintintheremotedistance,advancingalongthemuddycoastfromthedirectionofFoulness.
Atthatthecaptainonthebridgesworeatthetopofhisvoicewithfearandangerathisowndelay,andthepaddlesseemedinfectedwithhisterror.
Everysoulaboardstoodatthebulwarksorontheseatsofthesteamerandstaredatthatdistantshape,higherthanthetreesorchurchtowersinland,andadvancingwithaleisurelyparodyofahumanstride.
ItwasthefirstMartianmybrotherhadseen,andhestood,moreamazedthanterrified,watchingthisTitanadvancingdeliberatelytowardstheshipping,wadingfartherandfartherintothewaterasthecoastfellaway.
Then,farawaybeyondtheCrouch,cameanother,stridingoversomestuntedtrees,andthenyetanother,stillfartheroff,wadingdeeplythroughashinymudflatthatseemedtohanghalfwayupbetweenseaandsky.
Theywereallstalkingseaward,asiftointercepttheescapeofthemultitudinousvesselsthatwerecrowdedbetweenFoulnessandtheNaze.
Inspiteofthethrobbingexertionsoftheenginesofthelittlepaddle–boat,andthepouringfoamthatherwheelsflungbehindher,sherecededwithterrifyingslownessfromthisominousadvance.
Glancingnorthwestward,mybrothersawthelargecrescentofshippingalreadywrithingwiththeapproachingterror;oneshippassingbehindanother,anothercomingroundfrombroadsidetoendon,steamshipswhistlingandgivingoffvolumesofsteam,sailsbeingletout,launchesrushinghitherandthither.
Hewassofascinatedbythisandbythecreepingdangerawaytotheleftthathehadnoeyesforanythingseaward.
Andthenaswiftmovementofthesteamboat(shehadsuddenlycomeroundtoavoidbeingrundown)flunghimheadlongfromtheseatuponwhichhewasstanding.
Therewasashoutingallabouthim,atramplingoffeet,andacheerthatseemedtobeansweredfaintly.
Thesteamboatlurchedandrolledhimoveruponhishands.
Hesprangtohisfeetandsawtostarboard,andnotahundredyardsfromtheirheeling,pitchingboat,avastironbulklikethebladeofaploughtearingthroughthewater,tossingitoneithersideinhugewavesoffoamthatleapedtowardsthesteamer,flingingherpaddleshelplesslyintheair,andthensuckingherdeckdownalmosttothewaterline.
Adoucheofsprayblindedmybrotherforamoment.
Whenhiseyeswereclearagainhesawthemonsterhadpassedandwasrushinglandward.
Bigironupperworksroseoutofthisheadlongstructure,andfromthattwinfunnelsprojectedandspatasmokingblastshotwithfire.
Itwasthetorpedoram,ThunderChild,steamingheadlong,comingtotherescueofthethreatenedshipping.
Keepinghisfootingontheheavingdeckbyclutchingthebulwarks,mybrotherlookedpastthischargingleviathanattheMartiansagain,andhesawthethreeofthemnowclosetogether,andstandingsofarouttoseathattheirtripodsupportswerealmostentirelysubmerged.
Thussunken,andseeninremoteperspective,theyappearedfarlessformidablethanthehugeironbulkinwhosewakethesteamerwaspitchingsohelplessly.
Itwouldseemtheywereregardingthisnewantagonistwithastonishment.
Totheirintelligence,itmaybe,thegiantwasevensuchanotherasthemselves.
TheThunderChildfirednogun,butsimplydrovefullspeedtowardsthem.
Itwasprobablyhernotfiringthatenabledhertogetsoneartheenemyasshedid.Theydidnotknowwhattomakeofher.
Oneshell,andtheywouldhavesenthertothebottomforthwithwiththeHeat–Ray.
ShewassteamingatsuchapacethatinaminutesheseemedhalfwaybetweenthesteamboatandtheMartians—adiminishingblackbulkagainsttherecedinghorizontalexpanseoftheEssexcoast.
SuddenlytheforemostMartianloweredhistubeanddischargedacanisteroftheblackgasattheironclad.
Ithitherlarboardsideandglancedoffinaninkyjetthatrolledawaytoseaward,anunfoldingtorrentofBlackSmoke,fromwhichtheironcladdroveclear.
Tothewatchersfromthesteamer,lowinthewaterandwiththesunintheireyes,itseemedasthoughshewerealreadyamongtheMartians.
Theysawthegauntfiguresseparatingandrisingoutofthewaterastheyretreatedshoreward,andoneofthemraisedthecamera–likegeneratoroftheHeat–Ray.
Hehelditpointingobliquelydownward,andabankofsteamsprangfromthewateratitstouch.
Itmusthavedriventhroughtheironoftheship'ssidelikeawhite–hotironrodthroughpaper.
Aflickerofflamewentupthroughtherisingsteam,andthentheMartianreeledandstaggered.
Inanothermomenthewascutdown,andagreatbodyofwaterandsteamshothighintheair.
ThegunsoftheThunderChildsoundedthroughthereek,goingoffoneaftertheother,andoneshotsplashedthewaterhighclosebythesteamer,ricochetedtowardstheotherflyingshipstothenorth,andsmashedasmacktomatchwood.
Butnooneheededthatverymuch.AtthesightoftheMartian'scollapsethecaptainonthebridgeyelledinarticulately,andallthecrowdingpassengersonthesteamer'ssternshoutedtogether.Andthentheyyelledagain.
For,surgingoutbeyondthewhitetumult,drovesomethinglongandblack,theflamesstreamingfromitsmiddleparts,itsventilatorsandfunnelsspoutingfire.
Shewasalivestill;thesteeringgear,itseems,wasintactandherenginesworking.
SheheadedstraightforasecondMartian,andwaswithinahundredyardsofhimwhentheHeat–Raycametobear.
Thenwithaviolentthud,ablindingflash,herdecks,herfunnels,leapedupward.
TheMartianstaggeredwiththeviolenceofherexplosion,andinanothermomenttheflamingwreckage,stilldrivingforwardwiththeimpetusofitspace,hadstruckhimandcrumpledhimuplikeathingofcardboard.Mybrothershoutedinvoluntarily.
Aboilingtumultofsteamhideverythingagain.
"Two!"yelledthecaptain.
Everyonewasshouting.Thewholesteamerfromendtoendrangwithfranticcheeringthatwastakenupfirstbyoneandthenbyallinthecrowdingmultitudeofshipsandboatsthatwasdrivingouttosea.
Thesteamhunguponthewaterformanyminutes,hidingthethirdMartianandthecoastaltogether.
Andallthistimetheboatwaspaddlingsteadilyouttoseaandawayfromthefight;andwhenatlasttheconfusioncleared,thedriftingbankofblackvapourintervened,andnothingoftheThunderChildcouldbemadeout,norcouldthethirdMartianbeseen.
Buttheironcladstoseawardwerenowquitecloseandstandingintowardsshorepastthesteamboat.
Thelittlevesselcontinuedtobeatitswayseaward,andtheironcladsrecededslowlytowardsthecoast,whichwashiddenstillbyamarbledbankofvapour,partsteam,partblackgas,eddyingandcombininginthestrangestway.
Thefleetofrefugeeswasscatteringtothenortheast;severalsmacksweresailingbetweentheironcladsandthesteamboat.
Afteratime,andbeforetheyreachedthesinkingcloudbank,thewarshipsturnednorthward,andthenabruptlywentaboutandpassedintothethickeninghazeofeveningsouthward.
Thecoastgrewfaint,andatlastindistinguishableamidthelowbanksofcloudsthatweregatheringaboutthesinkingsun.
Thensuddenlyoutofthegoldenhazeofthesunsetcamethevibrationofguns,andaformofblackshadowsmoving.
Everyonestruggledtotherailofthesteamerandpeeredintotheblindingfurnaceofthewest,butnothingwastobedistinguishedclearly.
Amassofsmokeroseslantingandbarredthefaceofthesun.
Thesteamboatthrobbedonitswaythroughaninterminablesuspense.
Thesunsankintogreyclouds,theskyflushedanddarkened,theeveningstartrembledintosight.
Itwasdeeptwilightwhenthecaptaincriedoutandpointed.Mybrotherstrainedhiseyes.
Somethingrushedupintotheskyoutofthegreyness—rushedslantinglyupwardandveryswiftlyintotheluminousclearnessabovethecloudsinthewesternsky;somethingflatandbroad,andverylarge,thatsweptroundinavastcurve,grewsmaller,sankslowly,andvanishedagainintothegreymysteryofthenight.
Andasitflewitraineddowndarknessupontheland.
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