Війна світів
In London
Thehabitofpersonalsecurity,moreover,issodeeplyfixedintheLondoner’smind,andstartlingintelligencesomuchamatterofcourseinthepapers,thattheycouldreadwithoutanypersonaltremors: "Aboutseveno’clocklastnighttheMartianscameoutofthecylinder,and,movingaboutunderanarmourofmetallicshields,havecompletelywreckedWokingstationwiththeadjacenthouses,andmassacredanentirebattalionoftheCardiganRegiment. Nodetailsareknown. Maximshavebeenabsolutelyuselessagainsttheirarmour; thefieldgunshavebeendisabledbythem. FlyinghussarshavebeengallopingintoChertsey. TheMartiansappeartobemovingslowlytowardsChertseyorWindsor. GreatanxietyprevailsinWestSurrey,andearthworksarebeingthrownuptochecktheadvanceLondonward." ThatwashowtheSundaySunputit,andacleverandremarkablyprompt"handbook"articleintheRefereecomparedtheaffairtoamenageriesuddenlyletlooseinavillage.
NooneinLondonknewpositivelyofthenatureofthearmouredMartians,andtherewasstillafixedideathatthesemonstersmustbesluggish: "crawling,""creepingpainfully"—suchexpressionsoccurredinalmostalltheearlierreports. Noneofthetelegramscouldhavebeenwrittenbyaneyewitnessoftheiradvance. TheSundaypapersprintedseparateeditionsasfurthernewscametohand,someevenindefaultofit.Buttherewaspracticallynothingmoretotellpeopleuntillateintheafternoon,whentheauthoritiesgavethepressagenciesthenewsintheirpossession. ItwasstatedthatthepeopleofWaltonandWeybridge,andallthedistrictwerepouringalongtheroadsLondonward,andthatwasall.
MybrotherwenttochurchattheFoundlingHospitalinthemorning,stillinignoranceofwhathadhappenedonthepreviousnight. Thereheheardallusionsmadetotheinvasion,andaspecialprayerforpeace.
