Война миров
The Heat-Ray
Istoodstaring,notasyetrealisingthatthiswasdeathleapingfrommantomaninthatlittledistantcrowd. AllIfeltwasthatitwassomethingverystrange. Analmostnoise-lessandblindingflashoflight,andamanfellheadlongandlaystill; andastheunseenshaftofheatpassedoverthem,pinetreesburstintofire,andeverydryfurzebushbecamewithonedullthudamassofflames. AndfarawaytowardsKnaphillIsawtheflashesoftreesandhedgesandwoodenbuildingssuddenlysetalight.
Itwassweepingroundswiftlyandsteadily,thisflamingdeath,thisinvisible,inevitableswordofheat. Iperceiveditcomingtowardsmebytheflashingbushesittouched,andwastooastoundedandstupefiedtostir. Iheardthecrackleoffireinthesandpitsandthesuddensquealofahorsethatwasassuddenlystilled. ThenitwasasifaninvisibleyetintenselyheatedfingerweredrawnthroughtheheatherbetweenmeandtheMartians,andallalongacurvinglinebeyondthesandpitsthedarkgroundsmokedandcrackled. SomethingfellwithacrashfarawaytotheleftwheretheroadfromWokingstationopensoutonthecommon. Forth-withthehissingandhummingceased,andtheblack,dome-likeobjectsankslowlyoutofsightintothepit.
AllthishadhappenedwithsuchswiftnessthatIhadstoodmotionless,dumbfoundedanddazzledbytheflashesoflight. Hadthatdeathsweptthroughafullcircle,itmustinevitablyhaveslainmeinmysurprise. Butitpassedandsparedme, andleftthenightaboutmesuddenlydarkandun-familiar.
Theundulatingcommonseemednowdarkalmosttoblackness,exceptwhereitsroadwayslaygreyandpaleunderthedeepblueskyoftheearlynight. Itwasdark,andsuddenlyvoidofmen.
