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The Man On Putney Hill
Livesinsuredandabitinvestedforfearofaccidents. AndonSundays—fearofthehereafter. Asifhellwasbuiltforrabbits! Well,theMartianswilljustbeagodsendtothese. Niceroomycages,fatteningfood,carefulbreeding,noworry. Afteraweekorsochasingaboutthefieldsandlandsonemptystomachs,they’llcomeandbecaughtcheerful. They’llbequitegladafterabit. They’llwonderwhatpeopledidbeforetherewereMartianstotakecareofthem. Andthebarloafers,andmashers,andsingers—Icanimaginethem. Icanimaginethem,"hesaid,withasortofsombregratification. "There’llbeanyamountofsentimentandreligionlooseamongthem. There’shundredsofthingsIsawwithmyeyesthatI’veonlybeguntoseeclearlytheselastfewdays. There’slotswilltakethingsastheyare—fatandstupid;andlotswillbeworriedbyasortoffeelingthatit’sallwrong,andthattheyoughttobedoingsomething. Nowwheneverthingsaresothatalotofpeoplefeeltheyoughttobedoingsomething,theweak,andthosewhogoweakwithalotofcomplicatedthinking,alwaysmakeforasortofdo-nothingreligion,verypiousandsuperior,andsubmittopersecutionandthewilloftheLord. Verylikelyyou’veseenthesamething. It’senergyinagaleoffunk,andturnedcleaninsideout. Thesecageswillbefullofpsalmsandhymnsandpiety. Andthoseofalesssimplesortwillworkinabitof—whatisit?—eroticism."
Hepaused.
"VerylikelytheseMartianswillmakepetsofsomeofthem;trainthemtodotricks—whoknows? —getsentimentaloverthepetboywhogrewupandhadtobekilled. Andsome,maybe,theywilltraintohuntus."
"No,"Icried,"that’simpossible!Nohumanbeing——"
