Война миров

           Therewastalkofafloatingbody. Oneofthementhere,areservisthesaidhewas,toldmybrotherhehadseentheheliographflickeringinthewest. 

           InWellingtonStreetmybrothermetacoupleofsturdyroughswhohadjustbeenrushedoutofFleetStreetwithstill-wetnewspapersandstaringplacards. "Dreadfulcatastrophe!"theybawledonetotheotherdownWellingtonStreet. "FightingatWeybridge!Fulldescription!RepulseoftheMartians!LondoninDanger!" Hehadtogivethreepenceforacopyofthatpaper. 

           Thenitwas,andthenonly,thatherealisedsomethingofthefullpowerandterrorofthesemonsters. Helearnedthattheywerenotmerelyahandfulofsmallsluggishcreatures,butthattheyweremindsswayingvastmechanicalbodies; andthattheycouldmoveswiftlyandsmitewithsuchpowerthateventhemightiestgunscouldnotstandagainstthem. 

           Theyweredescribedas"vastspiderlikemachines,nearlyahundredfeethigh,capableofthespeedofanexpresstrain,andabletoshootoutabeamofintenseheat." Maskedbatteries,chieflyoffieldguns,hadbeenplantedinthecountryaboutHorsellCommon,andespeciallybetweentheWokingdistrictandLondon. FiveofthemachineshadbeenseenmovingtowardstheThames,andone,byahappychance,hadbeendestroyed. Intheothercasestheshellshadmissed,andthebatterieshadbeenatonceannihilatedbytheHeat-Rays. Heavylossesofsoldierswerementioned,butthetoneofthedispatchwasoptimistic. 

           TheMartianshadbeenrepulsed; theywerenotinvulnerable. Theyhadretreatedtotheirtriangleofcylindersagain,inthecircleaboutWoking. Signallerswithheliographswerepushingforwarduponthemfromallsides.