Війна світів
The Man On Putney Hill
Wetalkedinthismannerthroughtheearlymorningtime,andlatercreptoutofthebushes,and,afterscanningtheskyforMartians,hurriedprecipitatelytothehouseonPutneyHillwherehehadmadehislair. Itwasthecoalcellaroftheplace,andwhenIsawtheworkhehadspentaweekupon—itwasaburrowscarcelytenyardslong,whichhedesignedtoreachtothemaindrainonPutneyHill—Ihadmyfirstinklingofthegulfbetweenhisdreamsandhispowers. SuchaholeIcouldhaveduginaday. ButIbelievedinhimsufficientlytoworkwithhimallthatmorninguntilpastmiddayathisdigging. Wehadagardenbarrowandshottheearthweremovedagainstthekitchenrange. Werefreshedourselveswithatinofmock-turtlesoupandwinefromtheneighbouringpantry. Ifoundacuriousrelieffromtheachingstrangenessoftheworldinthissteadylabour. Asweworked,Iturnedhisprojectoverinmymind,andpresentlyobjectionsanddoubtsbegantoarise; butIworkedthereallthemorning,sogladwasItofindmyselfwithapurposeagain. AfterworkinganhourIbegantospeculateonthedistanceonehadtogobeforethecloacawasreached,thechanceswehadofmissingitaltogether. Myimmediatetroublewaswhyweshoulddigthislongtunnel,whenitwaspossibletogetintothedrainatoncedownoneofthemanholes,andworkbacktothehouse. Itseemedtome,too,thatthehousewasinconvenientlychosen,andrequiredaneedlesslengthoftunnel. AndjustasIwasbeginningtofacethesethings,theartillerymanstoppeddigging,andlookedatme.
"We’reworkingwell,"hesaid.Heputdownhisspade."Letusknockoffabit"hesaid. "Ithinkit’stimewereconnoitredfromtheroofofthehouse."
Iwasforgoingon,andafteralittlehesitationheresumedhisspade; andthensuddenlyIwasstruckbyathought. Istopped,andsodidheatonce.
