ItwasonthesixthdayofourimprisonmentthatIpeepedforthelasttime,andpresentlyfoundmyselfalone. Insteadofkeepingclosetomeandtryingtooustmefromtheslit,thecuratehadgonebackintothescullery.Iwasstruckbyasuddenthought. Iwentbackquicklyandquietlyintothescullery. InthedarknessIheardthecuratedrinking. Isnatchedinthedarkness,andmyfingerscaughtabottleofburgundy. Forafewminutestherewasatussle.Thebottlestruckthefloorandbroke,andIdesistedandrose. Westoodpantingandthreateningeachother. IntheendIplantedmyselfbetweenhimandthefood,andtoldhimofmydeterminationtobeginadiscipline. Idividedthefoodinthepantry,intorationstolastustendays. Iwouldnotlethimeatanymorethatday. Intheafternoonhemadeafeebleefforttogetatthefood. Ihadbeendozing,butinaninstantIwasawake. Alldayandallnightwesatfacetoface,Iwearybutresolute,andheweepingandcomplainingofhisimmediatehunger. Itwas,Iknow,anightandaday,buttomeitseemed—itseemsnow—aninterminablelengthoftime. Andsoourwidenedincompatibilityendedatlastinopenconflict. Fortwovastdayswestruggledinundertonesandwrestlingcontests. ThereweretimeswhenIbeatandkickedhimmadly,timeswhenIcajoledandpersuadedhim,andonceItriedtobribehimwiththelastbottleofburgundy,fortherewasarain–waterpumpfromwhichIcouldgetwater. Butneitherforcenorkindnessavailed;hewasindeedbeyondreason. Hewouldneitherdesistfromhisattacksonthefoodnorfromhisnoisybabblingtohimself. Therudimentaryprecautionstokeepourimprisonmentendurablehewouldnotobserve. SlowlyIbegantorealisethecompleteoverthrowofhisintelligence,toperceivethatmysolecompanioninthiscloseandsicklydarknesswasamaninsane. FromcertainvaguememoriesIaminclinedtothinkmyownmindwanderedattimes. IhadstrangeandhideousdreamswheneverIslept. Itsoundsparadoxical,butIaminclinedtothinkthattheweaknessandinsanityofthecuratewarnedme,bracedme,andkeptmeasaneman. Ontheeighthdayhebegantotalkaloudinsteadofwhispering,andnothingIcoulddowouldmoderatehisspeech. "Itisjust,OGod!"hewouldsay,overandoveragain."Itisjust.Onmeandminebethepunishmentlaid.Wehavesinned,wehavefallenshort. Therewaspoverty,sorrow;thepoorweretroddeninthedust,andIheldmypeace. Ipreachedacceptablefolly—myGod,whatfolly! —whenIshouldhavestoodup,thoughIdiedforit,andcalleduponthemtorepent–repent! ...Oppressorsofthepoorandneedy...!ThewinepressofGod!" ThenhewouldsuddenlyreverttothematterofthefoodIwithheldfromhim,praying,begging,weeping,atlastthreatening. Hebegantoraisehisvoice—Iprayedhimnotto. Heperceivedaholdonme—hethreatenedhewouldshoutandbringtheMartiansuponus. Foratimethatscaredme;butanyconcessionwouldhaveshortenedourchanceofescapebeyondestimating. Idefiedhim,althoughIfeltnoassurancethathemightnotdothisthing.Butthatday,atanyrate,hedidnot. Hetalkedwithhisvoicerisingslowly,throughthegreaterpartoftheeighthandninthdays—threats,entreaties,mingledwithatorrentofhalf–saneandalwaysfrothyrepentanceforhisvacantshamofGod'sservice,suchasmademepityhim. Thenhesleptawhile,andbeganagainwithrenewedstrength,soloudlythatImustneedsmakehimdesist. Herosetohisknees,forhehadbeensittinginthedarknessnearthecopper. "Ihavebeenstilltoolong,"hesaid,inatonethatmusthavereachedthepit,"andnowImustbearmywitness.Woeuntothisunfaithfulcity!Woe!Woe!Woe!Woe!Woe! Totheinhabitantsoftheearthbyreasonoftheothervoicesofthetrumpet——" "Shutup!"Isaid,risingtomyfeet,andinaterrorlesttheMartiansshouldhearus."ForGod'ssake——" "Nay,"shoutedthecurate,atthetopofhisvoice,standinglikewiseandextendinghisarms."Speak!ThewordoftheLordisuponme!" Inthreestrideshewasatthedoorleadingintothekitchen. "Imustbearmywitness!Igo!Ithasalreadybeentoolongdelayed." Iputoutmyhandandfeltthemeatchopperhangingtothewall.InaflashIwasafterhim.Iwasfiercewithfear. BeforehewashalfwayacrossthekitchenIhadovertakenhim. WithonelasttouchofhumanityIturnedthebladebackandstruckhimwiththebutt. Hewentheadlongforwardandlaystretchedontheground.Istumbledoverhimandstoodpanting.Helaystill. SuddenlyIheardanoisewithout,therunandsmashofslippingplaster,andthetriangularapertureinthewallwasdarkened. Ilookedupandsawthelowersurfaceofahandling–machinecomingslowlyacrossthehole. Oneofitsgrippinglimbscurledamidthedebris;anotherlimbappeared,feelingitswayoverthefallenbeams.Istoodpetrified,staring. ThenIsawthroughasortofglassplateneartheedgeofthebodytheface,aswemaycallit,andthelargedarkeyesofaMartian,peering,andthenalongmetallicsnakeoftentaclecamefeelingslowlythroughthehole. Iturnedbyaneffort,stumbledoverthecurate,andstoppedatthescullerydoor. Thetentaclewasnowsomeway,twoyardsormore,intheroom,andtwistingandturning,withqueersuddenmovements,thiswayandthat. ForawhileIstoodfascinatedbythatslow,fitfuladvance. Then,withafaint,hoarsecry,Iforcedmyselfacrossthescullery. Itrembledviolently;Icouldscarcelystandupright. Iopenedthedoorofthecoalcellar,andstoodthereinthedarknessstaringatthefaintlylitdoorwayintothekitchen,andlistening.HadtheMartianseenme?Whatwasitdoingnow? Somethingwasmovingtoandfrothere,veryquietly;everynowandthenittappedagainstthewall,orstartedonitsmovementswithafaintmetallicringing,likethemovementsofkeysonasplit–ring. Thenaheavybody—Iknewtoowellwhat—wasdraggedacrossthefloorofthekitchentowardstheopening. Irresistiblyattracted,Icrepttothedoorandpeepedintothekitchen. InthetriangleofbrightoutersunlightIsawtheMartian,initsBriareusofahandling–machine,scrutinizingthecurate'shead. IthoughtatoncethatitwouldinfermypresencefromthemarkoftheblowIhadgivenhim. Icreptbacktothecoalcellar,shutthedoor,andbegantocovermyselfupasmuchasIcould,andasnoiselesslyaspossibleinthedarkness,amongthefirewoodandcoaltherein. EverynowandthenIpaused,rigid,toheariftheMartianhadthrustitstentaclesthroughtheopeningagain. Thenthefaintmetallicjinglereturned. Itraceditslowlyfeelingoverthekitchen. PresentlyIhearditnearer—inthescullery,asIjudged. Ithoughtthatitslengthmightbeinsufficienttoreachme.Iprayedcopiously. Itpassed,scrapingfaintlyacrossthecellardoor. Anageofalmostintolerablesuspenseintervened;thenIhearditfumblingatthelatch!Ithadfoundthedoor!TheMartiansunderstooddoors! Itworriedatthecatchforaminute,perhaps,andthenthedooropened. InthedarknessIcouldjustseethething—likeanelephant'strunkmorethananythingelse—wavingtowardsmeandtouchingandexaminingthewall,coals,woodandceiling. Itwaslikeablackwormswayingitsblindheadtoandfro. Once,even,ittouchedtheheelofmyboot. Iwasonthevergeofscreaming;Ibitmyhand.Foratimethetentaclewassilent. Icouldhavefanciedithadbeenwithdrawn. Presently,withanabruptclick,itgrippedsomething—Ithoughtithadme! —andseemedtogooutofthecellaragain.ForaminuteIwasnotsure. Apparentlyithadtakenalumpofcoaltoexamine. Iseizedtheopportunityofslightlyshiftingmyposition,whichhadbecomecramped,andthenlistened.Iwhisperedpassionateprayersforsafety. ThenIheardtheslow,deliberatesoundcreepingtowardsmeagain.Slowly,slowlyitdrewnear,scratchingagainstthewallsandtappingthefurniture. WhileIwasstilldoubtful,itrappedsmartlyagainstthecellardoorandclosedit. Ihearditgointothepantry,andthebiscuit–tinsrattledandabottlesmashed,andthencameaheavybumpagainstthecellardoor. Thensilencethatpassedintoaninfinityofsuspense. Itcameintothescullerynomore;butIlayallthetenthdayintheclosedarkness,buriedamongcoalsandfirewood,notdaringeventocrawloutforthedrinkforwhichIcraved. ItwastheeleventhdaybeforeIventuredsofarfrommysecurity. 
