Война миров
The cylinder opens
Isawayoungman,ashopassistantinWokingIbelievehewas,standingonthecylinderandtryingtoscrambleoutoftheholeagain.Thecrowdhadpushedhimin.
Theendofthecylinderwasbeingscrewedoutfromwithin. Nearlytwofeetofshiningscrewprojected. Somebodyblunderedagainstme,andInarrowlymissedbeingpitchedontothetopofthescrew. Iturned,andasIdidsothescrewmusthavecomeout,forthelidofthecylinderfelluponthegravelwitharingingconcussion. Istuckmyelbowintothepersonbehindme,andturnedmyheadtowardstheThingagain. Foramomentthatcircularcavityseemedperfectlyblack. Ihadthesunsetinmyeyes.
Ithinkeveryoneexpectedtoseeamanemerge—possiblysomethingalittleunlikeusterrestrialmen,butinallessentialsaman. IknowIdid. But,looking,Ipresentlysawsome-thingstirringwithintheshadow:greyishbillowymovements,oneaboveanother,andthentwoluminousdisks—likeeyes. Thensomethingresemblingalittlegreysnake,aboutthethicknessofawalkingstick,coiledupoutofthewrithingmiddle,andwriggledintheairtowardsme—andthenanother.
Asuddenchillcameoverme. Therewasaloudshriekfromawomanbehind. Ihalfturned,keepingmyeyesfixeduponthecylinderstill,fromwhichothertentacleswerenowprojecting,andbeganpushingmywaybackfromtheedgeofthepit. Isawastonishmentgivingplacetohorroronthefacesofthepeopleaboutme. Iheardinarticulateexclamationsonallsides. Therewasageneralmovementbackwards. Isawtheshopmanstrugglingstillontheedgeofthepit.
