Война миров
What Had Happened in Surrey
Nowatthetimewecouldnotunderstandthesethings,butlaterIwastolearnthemeaningoftheseominouskopjesthatgatheredinthetwilight. EachoftheMartians,standinginthegreatcrescentIhavedescribed,haddischarged,bymeansofthegunliketubehecarried,ahugecanisteroverwhateverhill,copse,clusterofhouses,orotherpossiblecoverforguns,chancedtobeinfrontofhim. Somefiredonlyoneofthese,sometwo—asinthecaseoftheonewehadseen; theoneatRipleyissaidtohavedischargednofewerthanfiveatthattime. Thesecanisterssmashedonstrikingtheground—theydidnotexplode—andincontinentlydisengagedanenormousvolumeofheavy,inkyvapour,coilingandpouringupwardinahugeandebonycumuluscloud,agaseoushillthatsankandspreaditselfslowlyoverthesurroundingcountry. Andthetouchofthatvapour,theinhalingofitspungentwisps,wasdeathtoallthatbreathes.
Itwasheavy,thisvapour,heavierthanthedensestsmoke, sothat,afterthefirsttumultuousuprushandoutflowofitsimpact,itsankdownthroughtheairandpouredoverthegroundinamannerratherliquidthangaseous,abandoningthehills,andstreamingintothevalleysandditchesandwatercoursesevenasIhaveheardthecarbonic-acidgasthatpoursfromvolcaniccleftsiswonttodo. Andwhereitcameuponwatersomechemicalactionoccurred,andthesurfacewouldbeinstantlycoveredwithapowderyscumthatsankslowlyandmadewayformore. Thescumwasabsolutelyinsoluble,anditisastrangething,seeingtheinstanteffectofthegas,thatonecoulddrinkwithouthurtthewaterfromwhichithadbeenstrained. Thevapourdidnotdiffuseasatruegaswoulddo. Ithungtogetherinbanks,flowingsluggishlydowntheslopeofthelandanddrivingreluctantlybeforethewind,andveryslowlyitcombinedwiththemistandmoistureoftheair,andsanktotheearthintheformofdust.
