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What Had Happened in Surrey
Iexpectedatleasttoseesmokeorfire,orsomesuchevidenceofitswork. ButallIsawwasthedeepblueskyabove,withonesolitarystar,andthewhitemistspreadingwideandlowbeneath. Andtherehadbeennocrash,noansweringexplosion. Thesilencewasrestored; theminutelengthenedtothree.
"Whathashappened?"saidthecurate,standingupbesideme.
"Heavenknows!"saidI.
Abatflickeredbyandvanished. Adistanttumultofshoutingbeganandceased. IlookedagainattheMartian,andsawhewasnowmovingeastwardalongtheriverbank,withaswift,rollingmotion,
EverymomentIexpectedthefireofsomehiddenbatterytospringuponhim;buttheeveningcalmwasunbroken. ThefigureoftheMartiangrewsmallerashereceded,andpresentlythemistandthegatheringnighthadswallowedhimup. Byacommonimpulseweclamberedhigher. TowardsSunburywasadarkappearance,asthoughaconicalhillhadsuddenlycomeintobeingthere,hidingourviewofthefarthercountry; andthen,remoteracrosstheriver,overWalton,wesawanothersuchsummit. Thesehill-likeformsgrewlowerandbroaderevenaswestared.
Movedbyasuddenthought,Ilookednorthward,andthereIperceivedathirdofthesecloudyblackkopjeshadrisen.
Everythinghadsuddenlybecomeverystill. Farawaytothesoutheast,markingthequiet,weheardtheMartianshootingtooneanother,andthentheairquiveredagainwiththedistantthudoftheirguns. Buttheearthlyartillerymadenoreply.
