Війна світів
What We Saw From the Ruined House
Mostofitsarmswereretracted,butwiththreelongtentaclesitwasfishingoutanumberofrods,plates,andbarswhichlinedthecoveringandapparentlystrengthenedthewallsofthecylinder. These,asitextractedthem,wereliftedoutanddepositeduponalevelsurfaceofearthbehindit.
Itsmotionwassoswift,complex,andperfectthatatfirstIdidnotseeitasamachine,inspiteofitsmetallicglitter. Thefighting-machineswerecoordinatedandanimatedtoanextraordinarypitch,butnothingtocomparewiththis. Peoplewhohaveneverseenthesestructures,andhaveonlytheill-imaginedeffortsofartistsortheimperfectdescriptionsofsucheye-witnessesasmyselftogoupon,scarcelyrealisethatlivingquality.
Irecallparticularlytheillustrationofoneofthefirstpamphletstogiveaconsecutiveaccountofthewar. Theartisthadevidentlymadeahastystudyofoneofthefighting-machines,andtherehisknowledgeendedHepresentedthemastilted,stifftripods,withouteitherflexibilityorsubtlety,andwithanaltogethermisleadingmonotonyofeffect. Thepamphletcontainingtheserenderingshadaconsiderablevogue,andImentionthemheresimplytowarnthereaderagainsttheimpressiontheymayhavecreated. TheywerenomoreliketheMartiansIsawinactionthanaDutchdollislikeahumanbeing. Tomymind,thepamphletwouldhavebeenmuchbetterwithoutthem.
Atfirst,Isay,thehandling-machinedidnotimpressmeasamachine,butasacrablikecreaturewithaglitteringintegument,thecontrollingMartianwhosedelicatetentaclesactuateditsmovementsseemingtobesimplytheequivalentofthecrab’scerebralportion. ButthenIperceivedtheresemblanceofitsgrey-brown,shiny,leatheryintegumenttothatoftheothersprawlingbodiesbeyond,andthetruenatureofthisdexterousworkmandawneduponme.
