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Aftereatingwecreptbacktothescullery,andthereImusthavedozedagain,forwhenpresentlyIlookedroundIwasalone.
Thethuddingvibrationcontinuedwithwearisomepersistence.
Iwhisperedforthecurateseveraltimes,andatlastfeltmywaytothedoorofthekitchen.
Itwasstilldaylight,andIperceivedhimacrosstheroom,lyingagainstthetriangularholethatlookedoutupontheMartians.
Hisshoulderswerehunched,sothathisheadwashiddenfromme.
Icouldhearanumberofnoisesalmostlikethoseinanengineshed;andtheplacerockedwiththatbeatingthud.
ThroughtheapertureinthewallIcouldseethetopofatreetouchedwithgoldandthewarmblueofatranquileveningsky.
ForaminuteorsoIremainedwatchingthecurate,andthenIadvanced,crouchingandsteppingwithextremecareamidthebrokencrockerythatlitteredthefloor.
Itouchedthecurate'sleg,andhestartedsoviolentlythatamassofplasterwentslidingdownoutsideandfellwithaloudimpact.
Igrippedhisarm,fearinghemightcryout,andforalongtimewecrouchedmotionless.
ThenIturnedtoseehowmuchofourrampartremained.
Thedetachmentoftheplasterhadleftaverticalslitopeninthedebris,andbyraisingmyselfcautiouslyacrossabeamIwasabletoseeoutofthisgapintowhathadbeenovernightaquietsuburbanroadway.
Vast,indeed,wasthechangethatwebeheld.
Thefifthcylindermusthavefallenrightintothemidstofthehousewehadfirstvisited.
Thebuildinghadvanished,completelysmashed,pulverised,anddispersedbytheblow.
Thecylinderlaynowfarbeneaththeoriginalfoundations—deepinahole,alreadyvastlylargerthanthepitIhadlookedintoatWoking.
Theearthallroundithadsplashedunderthattremendousimpact—"splashed"istheonlyword—andlayinheapedpilesthathidthemassesoftheadjacenthouses.
Ithadbehavedexactlylikemudundertheviolentblowofahammer.
Ourhousehadcollapsedbackward;thefrontportion,evenonthegroundfloor,hadbeendestroyedcompletely;byachancethekitchenandsculleryhadescaped,andstoodburiednowundersoilandruins,closedinbytonsofearthoneverysidesavetowardsthecylinder.
OverthataspectwehungnowontheveryedgeofthegreatcircularpittheMartianswereengagedinmaking.
Theheavybeatingsoundwasevidentlyjustbehindus,andeverandagainabrightgreenvapourdroveuplikeaveilacrossourpeephole.
Thecylinderwasalreadyopenedinthecentreofthepit,andonthefartheredgeofthepit,amidthesmashedandgravel–heapedshrubbery,oneofthegreatfighting–machines,desertedbyitsoccupant,stoodstiffandtallagainsttheeveningsky.
AtfirstIscarcelynoticedthepitandthecylinder,althoughithasbeenconvenienttodescribethemfirst,onaccountoftheextraordinaryglitteringmechanismIsawbusyintheexcavation,andonaccountofthestrangecreaturesthatwerecrawlingslowlyandpainfullyacrosstheheapedmouldnearit.
Themechanismitcertainlywasthatheldmyattentionfirst.
Itwasoneofthosecomplicatedfabricsthathavesincebeencalledhandling–machines,andthestudyofwhichhasalreadygivensuchanenormousimpetustoterrestrialinvention.
Asitdawneduponmefirst,itpresentedasortofmetallicspiderwithfivejointed,agilelegs,andwithanextraordinarynumberofjointedlevers,bars,andreachingandclutchingtentaclesaboutitsbody.
Mostofitsarmswereretracted,butwiththreelongtentaclesitwasfishingoutanumberofrods,plates,andbarswhichlinedthecoveringandapparentlystrengthenedthewallsofthecylinder.
These,asitextractedthem,wereliftedoutanddepositeduponalevelsurfaceofearthbehindit.
Itsmotionwassoswift,complex,andperfectthatatfirstIdidnotseeitasamachine,inspiteofitsmetallicglitter.
Thefighting–machineswerecoordinatedandanimatedtoanextraordinarypitch,butnothingtocomparewiththis.
Peoplewhohaveneverseenthesestructures,andhaveonlytheill–imaginedeffortsofartistsortheimperfectdescriptionsofsucheye–witnessesasmyselftogoupon,scarcelyrealisethatlivingquality.
Irecallparticularlytheillustrationofoneofthefirstpamphletstogiveaconsecutiveaccountofthewar.
Theartisthadevidentlymadeahastystudyofoneofthefighting–machines,andtherehisknowledgeended.
Hepresentedthemastilted,stifftripods,withouteitherflexibilityorsubtlety,andwithanaltogethermisleadingmonotonyofeffect.
Thepamphletcontainingtheserenderingshadaconsiderablevogue,andImentionthemheresimplytowarnthereaderagainsttheimpressiontheymayhavecreated.
TheywerenomoreliketheMartiansIsawinactionthanaDutchdollislikeahumanbeing.
Tomymind,thepamphletwouldhavebeenmuchbetterwithoutthem.
Atfirst,Isay,thehandling–machinedidnotimpressmeasamachine,butasacrablikecreaturewithaglitteringintegument,thecontrollingMartianwhosedelicatetentaclesactuateditsmovementsseemingtobesimplytheequivalentofthecrab'scerebralportion.
ButthenIperceivedtheresemblanceofitsgrey–brown,shiny,leatheryintegumenttothatoftheothersprawlingbodiesbeyond,andthetruenatureofthisdexterousworkmandawneduponme.
Withthatrealisationmyinterestshiftedtothoseothercreatures,therealMartians.
AlreadyIhadhadatransientimpressionofthese,andthefirstnauseanolongerobscuredmyobservation.
Moreover,Iwasconcealedandmotionless,andundernourgencyofaction.
Theywere,Inowsaw,themostunearthlycreaturesitispossibletoconceive.
Theywerehugeroundbodies—or,rather,heads—aboutfourfeetindiameter,eachbodyhavinginfrontofitaface.
Thisfacehadnonostrils—indeed,theMartiansdonotseemtohavehadanysenseofsmell,butithadapairofverylargedark–colouredeyes,andjustbeneaththisakindoffleshybeak.
Inthebackofthisheadorbody—Iscarcelyknowhowtospeakofit—wasthesingletighttympanicsurface,sinceknowntobeanatomicallyanear,thoughitmusthavebeenalmostuselessinourdenseair.
Inagrouproundthemouthweresixteenslender,almostwhipliketentacles,arrangedintwobunchesofeighteach.
Thesebuncheshavesincebeennamedratheraptly,bythatdistinguishedanatomist,ProfessorHowes,thehands.
EvenasIsawtheseMartiansforthefirsttimetheyseemedtobeendeavouringtoraisethemselvesonthesehands,butofcourse,withtheincreasedweightofterrestrialconditions,thiswasimpossible.
ThereisreasontosupposethatonMarstheymayhaveprogresseduponthemwithsomefacility.
Theinternalanatomy,Imayremarkhere,asdissectionhassinceshown,wasalmostequallysimple.
Thegreaterpartofthestructurewasthebrain,sendingenormousnervestotheeyes,ear,andtactiletentacles.
Besidesthiswerethebulkylungs,intowhichthemouthopened,andtheheartanditsvessels.
Thepulmonarydistresscausedbythedenseratmosphereandgreatergravitationalattractionwasonlytooevidentintheconvulsivemovementsoftheouterskin.
AndthiswasthesumoftheMartianorgans.
Strangeasitmayseemtoahumanbeing,allthecomplexapparatusofdigestion,whichmakesupthebulkofourbodies,didnotexistintheMartians.Theywereheads—merelyheads.Entrailstheyhadnone.Theydidnoteat,muchlessdigest.
Instead,theytookthefresh,livingbloodofothercreatures,andinjecteditintotheirownveins.
Ihavemyselfseenthisbeingdone,asIshallmentioninitsplace.
But,squeamishasImayseem,IcannotbringmyselftodescribewhatIcouldnotendureeventocontinuewatching.
Letitsufficetosay,bloodobtainedfromastilllivinganimal,inmostcasesfromahumanbeing,wasrundirectlybymeansofalittlepipetteintotherecipientcanal....
Thebareideaofthisisnodoubthorriblyrepulsivetous,butatthesametimeIthinkthatweshouldrememberhowrepulsiveourcarnivoroushabitswouldseemtoanintelligentrabbit.
Thephysiologicaladvantagesofthepracticeofinjectionareundeniable,ifonethinksofthetremendouswasteofhumantimeandenergyoccasionedbyeatingandthedigestiveprocess.
Ourbodiesarehalfmadeupofglandsandtubesandorgans,occupiedinturningheterogeneousfoodintoblood.
Thedigestiveprocessesandtheirreactionuponthenervoussystemsapourstrengthandcolourourminds.
Mengohappyormiserableastheyhavehealthyorunhealthylivers,orsoundgastricglands.
ButtheMartianswereliftedabovealltheseorganicfluctuationsofmoodandemotion.
TheirundeniablepreferenceformenastheirsourceofnourishmentispartlyexplainedbythenatureoftheremainsofthevictimstheyhadbroughtwiththemasprovisionsfromMars.
Thesecreatures,tojudgefromtheshrivelledremainsthathavefallenintohumanhands,werebipedswithflimsy,siliciousskeletons(almostlikethoseofthesilicioussponges)andfeeblemusculature,standingaboutsixfeethighandhavinground,erectheads,andlargeeyesinflintysockets.
Twoorthreeoftheseseemtohavebeenbroughtineachcylinder,andallwerekilledbeforeearthwasreached.
Itwasjustaswellforthem,forthemereattempttostanduprightuponourplanetwouldhavebrokeneveryboneintheirbodies.
AndwhileIamengagedinthisdescription,Imayaddinthisplacecertainfurtherdetailswhich,althoughtheywerenotallevidenttousatthetime,willenablethereaderwhoisunacquaintedwiththemtoformaclearerpictureoftheseoffensivecreatures.
Inthreeotherpointstheirphysiologydifferedstrangelyfromours.
Theirorganismsdidnotsleep,anymorethantheheartofmansleeps.
Sincetheyhadnoextensivemuscularmechanismtorecuperate,thatperiodicalextinctionwasunknowntothem.
Theyhadlittleornosenseoffatigue,itwouldseem.
Onearththeycouldneverhavemovedwithouteffort,yeteventothelasttheykeptinaction.
Intwenty–fourhourstheydidtwenty–fourhoursofwork,asevenonearthisperhapsthecasewiththeants.
Inthenextplace,wonderfulasitseemsinasexualworld,theMartianswereabsolutelywithoutsex,andthereforewithoutanyofthetumultuousemotionsthatarisefromthatdifferenceamongmen.
AyoungMartian,therecannowbenodispute,wasreallybornuponearthduringthewar,anditwasfoundattachedtoitsparent,partiallybuddedoff,justasyounglilybulbsbudoff,orliketheyounganimalsinthefresh–waterpolyp.
Inman,inallthehigherterrestrialanimals,suchamethodofincreasehasdisappeared;butevenonthisearthitwascertainlytheprimitivemethod.
Amongtheloweranimals,upeventothosefirstcousinsofthevertebratedanimals,theTunicates,thetwoprocessesoccursidebyside,butfinallythesexualmethodsupersededitscompetitoraltogether.
OnMars,however,justthereversehasapparentlybeenthecase.
Itisworthyofremarkthatacertainspeculativewriterofquasi–scientificrepute,writinglongbeforetheMartianinvasion,didforecastformanafinalstructurenotunliketheactualMartiancondition.
Hisprophecy,Iremember,appearedinNovemberorDecember,1893,inalong–defunctpublication,thePallMallBudget,andIrecallacaricatureofitinapre–MartianperiodicalcalledPunch.
Hepointedout—writinginafoolish,facetioustone—thattheperfectionofmechanicalappliancesmustultimatelysupersedelimbs;theperfectionofchemicaldevices,digestion;thatsuchorgansashair,externalnose,teeth,ears,andchinwerenolongeressentialpartsofthehumanbeing,andthatthetendencyofnaturalselectionwouldlieinthedirectionoftheirsteadydiminutionthroughthecomingages.
Thebrainaloneremainedacardinalnecessity.
Onlyoneotherpartofthebodyhadastrongcaseforsurvival,andthatwasthehand,"teacherandagentofthebrain."
Whiletherestofthebodydwindled,thehandswouldgrowlarger.
Thereismanyatruewordwritteninjest,andhereintheMartianswehavebeyonddisputetheactualaccomplishmentofsuchasuppressionoftheanimalsideoftheorganismbytheintelligence.
TomeitisquitecrediblethattheMartiansmaybedescendedfrombeingsnotunlikeourselves,byagradualdevelopmentofbrainandhands(thelattergivingrisetothetwobunchesofdelicatetentaclesatlast)attheexpenseoftherestofthebody.
Withoutthebodythebrainwould,ofcourse,becomeamereselfishintelligence,withoutanyoftheemotionalsubstratumofthehumanbeing.
Thelastsalientpointinwhichthesystemsofthesecreaturesdifferedfromourswasinwhatonemighthavethoughtaverytrivialparticular.
Micro–organisms,whichcausesomuchdiseaseandpainonearth,haveeitherneverappeareduponMarsorMartiansanitaryscienceeliminatedthemagesago.
Ahundreddiseases,allthefeversandcontagionsofhumanlife,consumption,cancers,tumoursandsuchmorbidities,neverentertheschemeoftheirlife.
AndspeakingofthedifferencesbetweenthelifeonMarsandterrestriallife,Imayalludeheretothecurioussuggestionsoftheredweed.
ApparentlythevegetablekingdominMars,insteadofhavinggreenforadominantcolour,isofavividblood–redtint.
Atanyrate,theseedswhichtheMartians(intentionallyoraccidentally)broughtwiththemgaveriseinallcasestored–colouredgrowths.
Onlythatknownpopularlyastheredweed,however,gainedanyfootingincompetitionwithterrestrialforms.
Theredcreeperwasquiteatransitorygrowth,andfewpeoplehaveseenitgrowing.
Foratime,however,theredweedgrewwithastonishingvigourandluxuriance.
Itspreadupthesidesofthepitbythethirdorfourthdayofourimprisonment,anditscactus–likebranchesformedacarminefringetotheedgesofourtriangularwindow.
AndafterwardsIfounditbroadcastthroughoutthecountry,andespeciallywherevertherewasastreamofwater.
TheMartianshadwhatappearstohavebeenanauditoryorgan,asinglerounddrumatthebackofthehead–body,andeyeswithavisualrangenotverydifferentfromoursexceptthat,accordingtoPhilips,blueandvioletwereasblacktothem.
Itiscommonlysupposedthattheycommunicatedbysoundsandtentaculargesticulations;thisisasserted,forinstance,intheablebuthastilycompiledpamphlet(writtenevidentlybysomeonenotaneye–witnessofMartianactions)towhichIhavealreadyalluded,andwhich,sofar,hasbeenthechiefsourceofinformationconcerningthem.
NownosurvivinghumanbeingsawsomuchoftheMartiansinactionasIdid.
Itakenocredittomyselfforanaccident,butthefactisso.
AndIassertthatIwatchedthemcloselytimeaftertime,andthatIhaveseenfour,five,and(once)sixofthemsluggishlyperformingthemostelaboratelycomplicatedoperationstogetherwithouteithersoundorgesture.
Theirpeculiarhootinginvariablyprecededfeeding;ithadnomodulation,andwas,Ibelieve,innosenseasignal,butmerelytheexpirationofairpreparatorytothesuctionaloperation.
Ihaveacertainclaimtoatleastanelementaryknowledgeofpsychology,andinthismatterIamconvinced—asfirmlyasIamconvincedofanything—thattheMartiansinterchangedthoughtswithoutanyphysicalintermediation.
AndIhavebeenconvincedofthisinspiteofstrongpreconceptions.
BeforetheMartianinvasion,asanoccasionalreaderhereortheremayremember,Ihadwrittenwithsomelittlevehemenceagainstthetelepathictheory.
TheMartiansworenoclothing.Theirconceptionsofornamentanddecorumwerenecessarilydifferentfromours;andnotonlyweretheyevidentlymuchlesssensibleofchangesoftemperaturethanweare,butchangesofpressuredonotseemtohaveaffectedtheirhealthatallseriously.
Yetthoughtheyworenoclothing,itwasintheotherartificialadditionstotheirbodilyresourcesthattheirgreatsuperiorityovermanlay.
Wemen,withourbicyclesandroad–skates,ourLilienthalsoaring–machines,ourgunsandsticksandsoforth,arejustinthebeginningoftheevolutionthattheMartianshaveworkedout.
Theyhavebecomepracticallymerebrains,wearingdifferentbodiesaccordingtotheirneedsjustasmenwearsuitsofclothesandtakeabicycleinahurryoranumbrellainthewet.
Andoftheirappliances,perhapsnothingismorewonderfultoamanthanthecuriousfactthatwhatisthedominantfeatureofalmostallhumandevicesinmechanismisabsent—thewheelisabsent;amongallthethingstheybroughttoearththereisnotraceorsuggestionoftheiruseofwheels.
Onewouldhaveatleastexpecteditinlocomotion.
AndinthisconnectionitiscurioustoremarkthatevenonthisearthNaturehasneverhituponthewheel,orhaspreferredotherexpedientstoitsdevelopment.
AndnotonlydidtheMartianseithernotknowof(whichisincredible),orabstainfrom,thewheel,butintheirapparatussingularlylittleuseismadeofthefixedpivotorrelativelyfixedpivot,withcircularmotionsthereaboutconfinedtooneplane.
Almostallthejointsofthemachinerypresentacomplicatedsystemofslidingpartsmovingoversmallbutbeautifullycurvedfrictionbearings.
Andwhileuponthismatterofdetail,itisremarkablethatthelongleveragesoftheirmachinesareinmostcasesactuatedbyasortofshammusculatureofthedisksinanelasticsheath;thesedisksbecomepolarisedanddrawncloselyandpowerfullytogetherwhentraversedbyacurrentofelectricity.
Inthiswaythecuriousparallelismtoanimalmotions,whichwassostrikinganddisturbingtothehumanbeholder,wasattained.
Suchquasi–musclesaboundedinthecrablikehandling–machinewhich,onmyfirstpeepingoutoftheslit,Iwatchedunpackingthecylinder.
ItseemedinfinitelymorealivethantheactualMartianslyingbeyonditinthesunsetlight,panting,stirringineffectualtentacles,andmovingfeeblyaftertheirvastjourneyacrossspace.
WhileIwasstillwatchingtheirsluggishmotionsinthesunlight,andnotingeachstrangedetailoftheirform,thecurateremindedmeofhispresencebypullingviolentlyatmyarm.
Iturnedtoascowlingface,andsilent,eloquentlips.
Hewantedtheslit,whichpermittedonlyoneofustopeepthrough;andsoIhadtoforegowatchingthemforatimewhileheenjoyedthatprivilege.
WhenIlookedagain,thebusyhandling–machinehadalreadyputtogetherseveralofthepiecesofapparatusithadtakenoutofthecylinderintoashapehavinganunmistakablelikenesstoitsown;anddownontheleftabusylittlediggingmechanismhadcomeintoview,emittingjetsofgreenvapourandworkingitswayroundthepit,excavatingandembankinginamethodicalanddiscriminatingmanner.
Thisitwaswhichhadcausedtheregularbeatingnoise,andtherhythmicshocksthathadkeptourruinousrefugequivering.Itpipedandwhistledasitworked.
SofarasIcouldsee,thethingwaswithoutadirectingMartianatall.
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