The “Thunder Child”

           HadtheMartiansaimedonlyatdestruction,theymightonMondayhaveannihilatedtheentirepopulationofLondon,asitspreaditselfslowlythroughthehomecounties. NotonlyalongtheroadthroughBarnet,butalsothroughEdgwareandWalthamAbbey,andalongtheroadseastwardtoSouthendandShoeburyness,andsouthoftheThamestoDealandBroadstairs,pouredthesamefranticrout. IfonecouldhavehungthatJunemorninginaballoonintheblazingblueaboveLondoneverynorthwardandeastwardroadrunningoutofthetangledmazeofstreetswouldhaveseemedstippledblackwiththestreamingfugitives,eachdotahumanagonyofterrorandphysicaldistress. Ihavesetforthatlengthinthelastchaptermybrother’saccountoftheroadthroughChippingBarnet,inorderthatmyreadersmayrealisehowthatswarmingofblackdotsappearedtooneofthoseconcerned. Neverbeforeinthehistoryoftheworldhadsuchamassofhumanbeingsmovedandsufferedtogether. ThelegendaryhostsofGothsandHuns,thehugestarmiesAsiahaseverseen,wouldhavebeenbutadropinthatcurrent. Andthiswasnodisciplinedmarch;itwasastampede—astampedegiganticandterrible—withoutorderandwithoutagoal,sixmillionpeopleunarmedandunprovisioned,drivingheadlong. Itwasthebeginningoftheroutofcivilisation,ofthemassacreofmankind. 

           Directlybelowhimtheballoonistwouldhaveseenthenetworkofstreetsfarandwide,houses,churches,squares,crescents,gardens—alreadyderelict—spreadoutlikeahugemap,andinthesouthwardblotted. OverEaling,Richmond,Wimbledon,itwouldhaveseemedasifsomemonstrouspenhadflunginkuponthechart. Steadily,incessantly,eachblacksplashgrewandspread,shootingoutramificationsthiswayandthat,nowbankingitselfagainstrisingground,nowpouringswiftlyoveracrestintoanew-foundvalley,exactlyasagoutofinkwouldspreaditselfuponblottingpaper.