Війна світів
The Heat-Ray
Thesunsetfadedtotwilightbeforeanythingfurtherhappened. Thecrowdfarawayontheleft,towardsWoking,seemedtogrow,andIheardnowafaintmurmurfromit. ThelittleknotofpeopletowardsChobhamdispersed. Therewasscarcelyanintimationofmovementfromthepit.
Itwasthis,asmuchasanything,thatgavepeoplecourage,andIsupposethenewarrivalsfromWokingalsohelpedtorestoreconfidence. Atanyrate,astheduskcameonaslow,intermittentmovementuponthesandpitsbegan,amovementthatseemedtogatherforceasthestillnessoftheeveningaboutthecylinderremainedunbroken. Verticalblackfiguresintwosandthreeswouldadvance,stop,watch,andadvanceagain,spreadingoutastheydidsoinathinirregularcrescentthatpromisedtoenclosethepitinitsattenuatedhorns. I,too,onmysidebegantomovetowardsthepit.
ThenIsawsomecabmenandothershadwalkedboldlyintothesandpits,andheardtheclatterofhoofsandthegrideofwheels. Isawaladtrundlingoffthebarrowofapples. Andthen,withinthirtyyardsofthepit,advancingfromthedirectionofHorsell,Inotedalittleblackknotofmen,theforemostofwhomwaswavingawhiteflag.
ThiswastheDeputation. Therehadbeenahastyconsultation,andsincetheMartianswereevidently,inspiteoftheirrepulsiveforms,intelligentcreatures,ithadbeenresolvedtoshowthem,byapproachingthemwithsignals,thatwetoowereintelligent.
Flutter,flutter,wenttheflag,firsttotheright,thentotheleft. Itwastoofarformetorecogniseanyonethere,butafterwardsIlearnedthatOgilvy,Stent,andHendersonwerewithothersinthisattemptatcommunication.
