Великий военный синдикат

           Themotor-bombhadbeeninthecannonfornearlyanhour,andeverythinghadlongbeenready,whenatpreciselythirtyminutespastfouro’clockthesignaltodischargecamefromtheDirector-in-chief;andinfoursecondsafterwardstheindexonthescaleindicatedthatthegunwasintheproperposition,andthebuttonwastouched.Themotor-bombwassettoacttheinstantitshouldtouchanyportionofthefort,andtheeffectwasdifferentfromthatoftheotherbombs.Therewasaquick,hardshock,butitwasallintheair.Thousandsofpanesofglassinthecityandinhousesformilesaroundwerecrackedorbroken,birdsfelldeadorstunnedupontheground,andpeopleonelevationsatconsiderabledistancesfeltasiftheyhadreceivedablow;buttherewasnotremblingoftheground.Astothefort,ithadentirelydisappeared,itsparticleshavingbeeninstantaneouslyremovedtoagreatdistanceineverydirection,fallingoversuchavastexpanseoflandandwaterthattheirdescentwasunobservable.Intheplacewherethefortresshadstoodtherewasawidetractofbareearth,whichlookedasifithadbeenscrapedintoastaringdeadlevelofgravelandclay.Theinstantaneousmotor-bombhadbeenarrangedtoactalmosthorizontally.Fewpersons,exceptthosewhofromadistancehadbeenwatchingthefortwithglasses,understoodwhathadhappened;buteveryoneinthecityandsurroundingcountrywasconsciousthatsomethinghadhappenedofamoststartlingkind,andthatitwasoverinthesameinstantinwhichtheyhadperceivedit.Everywheretherewasthenoiseoffallingwindow-glass.