Война миров

The “Thunder Child”

           CloseinshorewasamultitudeoffishingsmacksEnglish,Scotch,French,Dutch,andSwedish; steamlaunchesfromtheThames,yachts,electricboats; andbeyondwereshipsoflargeburden,amultitudeoffilthycolliers,trimmerchantmen,cattleships,passengerboats,petroleumtanks,oceantramps,anoldwhitetransporteven,neatwhiteandgreylinersfromSouthamptonandHamburg; andalongthebluecoastacrosstheBlackwatermybrothercouldmakeoutdimlyadenseswarmofboatschafferingwiththepeopleonthebeach,aswarmwhichalsoextendeduptheBlackwateralmosttoMaldon. 

           Aboutacoupleofmilesoutlayanironclad,verylowinthewater,almost,tomybrother’sperception,likeawater-loggedship. ThiswastheramThunderChild. Itwastheonlywarshipinsight,butfarawaytotherightoverthesmoothsurfaceoftheseaforthatdaytherewasadeadcalmlayaserpentofblacksmoketomarkthenextironcladsoftheChannelFleet, whichhoveredinanextendedline,steamupandreadyforaction,acrosstheThamesestuaryduringthecourseoftheMartianconquest,vigilantandyetpowerlesstopreventit. 

           Atthesightofthesea,Mrs.Elphinstone,inspiteoftheassurancesofhersister-in-law,gavewaytopanic. ShehadneverbeenoutofEnglandbefore,shewouldratherdiethantrustherselffriendlessinaforeigncountry,andsoforth. Sheseemed,poorwoman,toimaginethattheFrenchandtheMartiansmightproveverysimilar. Shehadbeengrowingincreasinglyhysterical,fearful,anddepressedduringthetwodays’journeyings. HergreatideawastoreturntoStanmore. ThingshadbeenalwayswellandsafeatStanmore. TheywouldfindGeorgeatStanmore. 

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