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The “Thunder Child”
SuddenlytheforemostMartianloweredhistubeanddischargedacanisteroftheblackgasattheironclad. Ithitherlarboardsideandglancedoffinaninkyjetthatrolledawaytoseaward,anunfoldingtorrentofBlackSmoke,fromwhichtheironcladdroveclear. Tothewatchersfromthesteamer,lowinthewaterandwiththesunintheireyes,itseemedasthoughshewerealreadyamongtheMartians.
Theysawthegauntfiguresseparatingandrisingoutofthewaterastheyretreatedshoreward, andoneofthemraisedthecamera-likegeneratoroftheHeat-Ray. Hehelditpointingobliquelydownward,andabankofsteamsprangfromthewateratitstouch. Itmusthavedriventhroughtheironoftheship’ssidelikeawhite-hotironrodthroughpaper.
Aflickerofflamewentupthroughtherisingsteam,andthentheMartianreeledandstaggered. Inanothermomenthewascutdown,andagreatbodyofwaterandsteamshothighintheair. ThegunsoftheThunderChildsoundedthroughthereek,goingoffoneaftertheother,andoneshotsplashedthewaterhighclosebythesteamer,ricochetedtowardstheotherflyingshipstothenorth,andsmashedasmacktomatchwood.
Butnooneheededthatverymuch. AtthesightoftheMartian’scollapsethecaptainonthebridgeyelledinarticulately,andallthecrowdingpassengersonthesteamer’ssternshoutedtogether. Andthentheyyelledagain. For,surgingoutbeyondthewhitetumult,drovesomethinglongandblack,theflamesstreamingfromitsmiddleparts,itsventilatorsandfunnelsspoutingfire.
Shewasalivestill; thesteeringgear,itseems,wasintactandherenginesworking. SheheadedstraightforasecondMartian,andwaswithinahundredyardsofhimwhentheHeat-Raycametobear.
