Война миров
The Epilogue
Oneneedstoseethedrawingsoftheseappearancesinordertoappreciatefullytheirremarkableresemblanceincharacter.
Atanyrate,whetherweexpectanotherinvasionornot,ourviewsofthehumanfuturemustbegreatlymodifiedbytheseevents. WehavelearnednowthatwecannotregardthisplanetasbeingfencedinandasecureabidingplaceforMan; wecanneveranticipatetheunseengoodorevilthatmaycomeuponussuddenlyoutofspace. ItmaybethatinthelargerdesignoftheuniversethisinvasionfromMarsisnotwithoutitsultimatebenefitformen; ithasrobbedusofthatsereneconfidenceinthefuturewhichisthemostfruitfulsourceofdecadence,thegiftstohumanscienceithasbroughtareenormous,andithasdonemuchtopromotetheconceptionofthecommonwealofmankind. ItmaybethatacrosstheimmensityofspacetheMartianshavewatchedthefateofthesepioneersoftheirsandlearnedtheirlesson,andthatontheplanetVenustheyhavefoundasecurersettlement. Bethatasitmay,formanyyearsyettherewillcertainlybenorelaxationoftheeagerscrutinyoftheMartiandisk,andthosefierydartsofthesky,theshootingstars,willbringwiththemastheyfallanunavoidableapprehensiontoallthesonsofmen.
Thebroadeningofmen’sviewsthathasresultedcanscarcelybeexaggerated. Beforethecylinderfelltherewasageneralpersuasionthatthroughallthedeepofspacenolifeexistedbeyondthepettysurfaceofourminutesphere. Nowweseefurther. IftheMartianscanreachVenus,thereisnoreasontosupposethatthethingisimpossibleformen, andwhentheslowcoolingofthesunmakesthisearthuninhabitable,asatlastitmustdo,itmaybethatthethreadoflifethathasbegunherewillhavestreamedoutandcaughtoursisterplanetwithinitstoils.
