Война миров
In London
Mencamescramblingoffbusestosecurecopies. Certainlythisnewsexcitedpeopleintensely,whatevertheirpreviousapathy. TheshuttersofamapshopintheStrandwerebeingtakendown,mybrothersaid,andamaninhisSundayraiment,lemon-yellowgloveseven,wasvisibleinsidethewindowhastilyfasteningmapsofSurreytotheglass.
GoingonalongtheStrandtoTrafalgarSquare,thepaperinhishand,mybrothersawsomeofthefugitivesfromWestSurrey. Therewasamanwithhiswifeandtwoboysandsomearticlesoffurnitureinacartsuchasgreengrocersuse. HewasdrivingfromthedirectionofWestminsterBridge; andclosebehindhimcameahaywaggonwithfiveorsixrespectable-lookingpeopleinit,andsomeboxesandbundles. Thefacesofthesepeoplewerehaggard,andtheirentireappearancecontrastedconspicuouslywiththeSabbath-bestappearanceofthepeopleontheomnibuses. Peopleinfashionableclothingpeepedatthemoutofcabs. TheystoppedattheSquareasifundecidedwhichwaytotake,andfinallyturnedeastwardalongtheStrand. Somewaybehindthesecameamaninworkdayclothes,ridingoneofthoseold-fashionedtricycleswithasmallfrontwheel. Hewasdirtyandwhiteintheface.
MybrotherturneddowntowardsVictoria,andmetanumberofsuchpeople. Hehadavagueideathathemightseesomethingofme. Henoticedanunusualnumberofpoliceregulatingthetraffic. Someoftherefugeeswereexchangingnewswiththepeopleontheomnibuses. OnewasprofessingtohaveseentheMartians. "Boilersonstilts,Itellyou,stridingalonglikemen." Mostofthemwereexcitedandanimatedbytheirstrangeexperience.
BeyondVictoriathepublic-housesweredoingalivelytradewiththesearrivals.
