Війна світів
The Eve of the War
Theirworldisfargoneinitscoolingandthisworldisstillcrowdedwithlife, butcrowdedonlywithwhattheyregardasinferioranimals. Tocarrywarfaresunwardis,indeed,theironlyescapefromthedestructionthat,generationaftergeneration,creepsuponthem.
Andbeforewejudgeofthemtooharshlywemustremember whatruthlessandutterdestructionourownspecieshaswrought,notonlyuponanimals, suchasthevanishedbisonandthedodo,butuponitsinferiorraces. TheTasmanians,inspiteoftheirhumanlikeness,wereentirelysweptoutofexistenceinawarofexterminationwagedbyEuropeanimmigrants,inthespaceoffiftyyears. ArewesuchapostlesofmercyastocomplainiftheMartianswarredinthesamespirit?
TheMartiansseemtohavecalculatedtheirdescentwithamazingsubtlety —theirmathematicallearningisevidentlyfarinexcessofours —andtohavecarriedouttheirpreparationswithawell-nighperfectunanimity. Hadourinstrumentspermittedit,wemighthaveseenthegatheringtroublefarbackinthenineteenthcentury. MenlikeSchiaparelliwatchedtheredplanet—itisodd, by-the-bye,thatforcount-lesscenturiesMarshasbeenthestarofwar —butfailedtointerpretthefluctuatingappearancesofthemarkingstheymappedsowell. AllthattimetheMartiansmusthavebeengettingready.
