Война миров

           Somanypeoplewereabroadeverywhere,busiedinathousandactivities,thatitseemedincrediblethatanygreatproportionofthepopulationcouldhavebeenslain. ButthenInoticedhowyellowweretheskinsofthepeopleImet,howshaggythehairofthemen,howlargeandbrighttheireyes,andthateveryothermanstillworehisdirtyrags. Theirfacesseemedallwithoneoftwoexpressions—aleapingexultationandenergyoragrimresolution. Savefortheexpressionofthefaces,Londonseemedacityoftramps. ThevestrieswereindiscriminatelydistributingbreadsentusbytheFrenchgovernment. Theribsofthefewhorsesshoweddismally. Haggardspecialconstableswithwhitebadgesstoodatthecornersofeverystreet. IsawlittleofthemischiefwroughtbytheMartiansuntilIreachedWellingtonStreet,andthereIsawtheredweedclamberingoverthebuttressesofWaterlooBridge. 

           Atthecornerofthebridge,too,Isawoneofthecommoncontrastsofthatgrotesquetime—asheetofpaperflauntingagainstathicketoftheredweed,transfixedbyastickthatkeptitinplace. Itwastheplacardofthefirstnewspapertoresumepublication—theDailyMail. IboughtacopyforablackenedshillingIfoundinmypocket. Mostofitwasinblank,butthesolitarycompositorwhodidthethinghadamusedhimselfbymakingagrotesqueschemeofadvertisementstereoonthebackpage.Thematterheprintedwasemotional;thenewsorganisationhadnotasyetfounditswayback. IlearnednothingfreshexceptthatalreadyinoneweektheexaminationoftheMartianmechanismshadyieldedastonishingresults. Amongotherthings,thearticleassuredmewhatIdidnotbelieveatthetime,thatthe"SecretofFlying,"wasdiscovered. AtWaterlooIfoundthefreetrainsthatweretakingpeopletotheirhomes. Thefirstrushwasalreadyover.