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Friday Night
Saveforsuch,thatbigareaofcommonwassilentanddesolate,andthecharredbodieslayaboutonitallnightunderthestars,andallthenextday. Anoiseofhammeringfromthepitwasheardbymanypeople.
SoyouhavethestateofthingsonFridaynight. Inthecentre,stickingintotheskinofouroldplanetEarthlikeapoisoneddart,wasthiscylinder. Butthepoisonwasscarcelyworkingyet. Arounditwasapatchofsilentcommon,smoulderinginplaces,andwithafewdark,dimlyseenobjectslyingincontortedattitudeshereandthere. Hereandtherewasaburningbushortree. Beyondwasafringeofexcitement,andfartherthanthatfringetheinflammationhadnotcreptasyet. Intherestoftheworldthestreamoflifestillflowedasithadflowedforimmemorialyears. Thefeverofwarthatwouldpresentlyclogveinandartery,deadennerveanddestroybrain,hadstilltodevelop.
AllnightlongtheMartianswerehammeringandstirring,sleepless,indefatigable,atworkuponthemachinestheyweremakingready,andeverandagainapuffofgreenish-whitesmokewhirleduptothestarlitsky.
AboutelevenacompanyofsoldierscamethroughHorsell,anddeployedalongtheedgeofthecommontoformacordon. LaterasecondcompanymarchedthroughChobhamtodeployonthenorthsideofthecommon. SeveralofficersfromtheInkermanbarrackshadbeenonthecommonearlierintheday,andone,MajorEden,wasreportedtobemissing. ThecoloneloftheregimentcametotheChobhambridgeandwasbusyquestioningthecrowdatmidnight. Themilitaryauthoritieswerecertainlyalivetotheseriousnessofthebusiness. Abouteleven,thenextmorning’spaperswereabletosay,asquadronofhussars,twoMaxims,andaboutfourhundredmenoftheCardiganregimentstartedfromAldershot.
