The Heat-Ray in the Chobham Road

           ItisstillamatterofwonderhowtheMartiansareabletoslaymensoswiftlyandsosilently. Manythinkthatinsomewaytheyareabletogenerateanintenseheatinachamberofpracticallyabsolutenon-conductivity. Thisintenseheattheyprojectinaparallelbeamagainstanyobjecttheychoose,bymeansofapolishedparabolicmirrorofunknowncomposition,muchastheparabolicmirrorofalighthouseprojectsabeamoflight. Butnoonehasabsolutelyprovedthesedetails. Howeveritisdone,itiscertainthatabeamofheatistheessenceofthematter. Heat,andinvisible,insteadofvisible,light. Whateveriscombustibleflashesintoflameatitstouch,leadrunslikewater,itsoftensiron,cracksandmeltsglass,andwhenitfallsuponwater,incontinentlythatexplodesintosteam. 

           Thatnightnearlyfortypeoplelayunderthestarlightaboutthepit,charredanddistortedbeyondrecognition,andallnightlongthecommonfromHorselltoMayburywasdesertedandbrightlyablaze. 

           ThenewsofthemassacreprobablyreachedChobham,Woking,andOttershawaboutthesametime. InWokingtheshopshadclosedwhenthetragedyhappened,andanumberofpeople,shoppeopleandsoforth,attractedbythestoriestheyhadheard,werewalkingovertheHorsellBridgeandalongtheroadbetweenthehedgesthatrunsoutatlastuponthecommon. Youmayimaginetheyoungpeoplebrushedupafterthelaboursoftheday,andmakingthisnovelty,astheywouldmakeanynovelty,theexcuseforwalkingtogetherandenjoyingatrivialflirtation. Youmayfiguretoyourselfthehumofvoicesalongtheroadinthegloaming... 

           Asyet,ofcourse,fewpeopleinWokingevenknewthatthecylinderhadopened,thoughpoorHendersonhadsentamessengeronabicycletothepostofficewithaspecialwiretoaneveningpaper.