Війна світів
The Eve of the War
TheThingitselflayalmostentirelyburiedinsand,amidstthescatteredsplintersofafirtreeithadshiveredtofragmentsinitsdescent. Theuncoveredparthadtheappearanceofahugecylinder,cakedoveranditsoutlinesoftenedbyathickscalydun-colouredincrustation. Ithadadiameterofaboutthirtyyards. Heapproachedthemass,surprisedatthesizeandmoresoattheshape,sincemostmeteoritesareroundedmoreorlesscompletely. Itwas,however,stillsohotfromitsflightthroughtheairastoforbidhisnearapproach. Astirringnoisewithinitscylinderheascribedtotheunequalcoolingofitssurface; foratthattimeithadnotoccurredtohimthatitmightbehollow.
HeremainedstandingattheedgeofthepitthattheThinghadmadeforitself,staringatitsstrangeappearance,astonishedchieflyatitsunusualshapeandcolour,anddimlyperceivingeventhensomeevidenceofdesigninitsarrival. Theearlymorningwaswonderfullystill,andthesun,justclearingthepinetreestowardsWeybridge,wasalreadywarm. Hedidnotrememberhearinganybirdsthatmorning,therewascertainlynobreezestirring,andtheonlysoundswerethefaintmovementsfromwithinthecinderycylinder. Hewasallaloneonthecommon.
Thensuddenlyhenoticedwithastartthatsomeofthegreyclinker,theashyincrustationthatcoveredthemeteorite,wasfallingoffthecircularedgeoftheend. Itwasdroppingoffinflakesandrainingdownuponthesand. Alargepiecesuddenlycameoffandfellwithasharpnoisethatbroughthisheartintohismouth.
Foraminutehescarcelyrealisedwhatthismeant,and,althoughtheheatwasexcessive,heclambereddownintothepitclosetothebulktoseetheThingmoreclearly.
