BOOK	O
ONE	O
THE	O
COMING	O
OF	O
THE	O
MARTIANS	O
CHAPTER	O
ONE	O
THE	O
EVE	O
OF	O
THE	O
WAR	O
No	O
one	O
would	O
have	O
believed	O
in	O
the	O
last	O
years	O
of	O
the	O
nineteenth	O
century	O
that	O
this	O
world	O
was	O
being	O
watched	O
keenly	O
and	O
closely	O
by	O
intelligences	O
greater	O
than	O
man	O
's	O
and	O
yet	O
as	O
mortal	O
as	O
his	O
own	O
;	O
that	O
as	O
men	O
busied	O
themselves	O
about	O
their	O
various	O
concerns	O
they	O
were	O
scrutinised	O
and	O
studied	O
,	O
perhaps	O
almost	O
as	O
narrowly	O
as	O
a	O
man	O
with	O
a	O
microscope	O
might	O
scrutinise	O
the	O
transient	O
creatures	O
that	O
swarm	O
and	O
multiply	O
in	O
a	O
drop	O
of	O
water	O
.	O

With	O
infinite	O
complacency	O
men	O
went	O
to	O
and	O
fro	O
over	O
this	O
globe	O
about	O
their	O
little	O
affairs	O
,	O
serene	O
in	O
their	O
assurance	O
of	O
their	O
empire	O
over	O
matter	O
.	O

It	O
is	O
possible	O
that	O
the	O
infusoria	O
under	O
the	O
microscope	O
do	O
the	O
same	O
.	O

No	O
one	O
gave	O
a	O
thought	O
to	O
the	O
older	O
worlds	O
of	O
space	O
as	O
sources	O
of	O
human	O
danger	O
,	O
or	O
thought	O
of	O
them	O
only	O
to	O
dismiss	O
the	O
idea	O
of	O
life	O
upon	O
them	O
as	O
impossible	O
or	O
improbable	O
.	O

It	O
is	O
curious	O
to	O
recall	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
mental	O
habits	O
of	O
those	O
departed	O
days	O
.	O

At	O
most	O
terrestrial	O
men	O
fancied	O
there	O
might	O
be	O
other	O
men	O
upon	O
Mars	O
,	O
perhaps	O
inferior	O
to	O
themselves	O
and	O
ready	O
to	O
welcome	O
a	O
missionary	O
enterprise	O
.	O

Yet	O
across	O
the	O
gulf	O
of	O
space	O
,	O
minds	O
that	O
are	O
to	O
our	O
minds	O
as	O
ours	O
are	O
to	O
those	O
of	O
the	O
beasts	O
that	O
perish	O
,	O
intellects	O
vast	O
and	O
cool	O
and	O
unsympathetic	O
,	O
regarded	O
this	O
earth	O
with	O
envious	O
eyes	O
,	O
and	O
slowly	O
and	O
surely	O
drew	O
their	O
plans	O
against	O
us	O
.	O

And	O
early	O
in	O
the	O
twentieth	O
century	O
came	O
the	O
great	O
disillusionment	O
.	O

The	O
planet	O
Mars	O
,	O
I	O
scarcely	O
need	O
remind	O
the	O
reader	O
,	O
revolves	O
about	O
the	O
sun	O
at	O
a	O
mean	O
distance	O
of	O
140,000,000	O
miles	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
light	O
and	O
heat	O
it	O
receives	O
from	O
the	O
sun	O
is	O
barely	O
half	O
of	O
that	O
received	O
by	O
this	O
world	O
.	O

It	O
must	O
be	O
,	O
if	O
the	O
nebular	O
hypothesis	O
has	O
any	O
truth	O
,	O
older	O
than	O
our	O
world	O
;	O
and	O
long	O
before	O
this	O
earth	O
ceased	O
to	O
be	O
molten	O
,	O
life	O
upon	O
its	O
surface	O
must	O
have	O
begun	O
its	O
course	O
.	O

The	O
fact	O
that	O
it	O
is	O
scarcely	O
one	O
seventh	O
of	O
the	O
volume	O
of	O
the	O
earth	O
must	O
have	O
accelerated	O
its	O
cooling	O
to	O
the	O
temperature	O
at	O
which	O
life	O
could	O
begin	O
.	O

It	O
has	O
air	O
and	O
water	O
and	O
all	O
that	O
is	O
necessary	O
for	O
the	O
support	O
of	O
animated	O
existence	O
.	O

Yet	O
so	O
vain	O
is	O
man	O
,	O
and	O
so	O
blinded	O
by	O
his	O
vanity	O
,	O
that	O
no	O
writer	O
,	O
up	O
to	O
the	O
very	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
nineteenth	O
century	O
,	O
expressed	O
any	O
idea	O
that	O
intelligent	O
life	O
might	O
have	O
developed	O
there	O
far	O
,	O
or	O
indeed	O
at	O
all	O
,	O
beyond	O
its	O
earthly	O
level	O
.	O

Nor	O
was	O
it	O
generally	O
understood	O
that	O
since	O
Mars	O
is	O
older	O
than	O
our	O
earth	O
,	O
with	O
scarcely	O
a	O
quarter	O
of	O
the	O
superficial	O
area	O
and	O
remoter	O
from	O
the	O
sun	O
,	O
it	O
necessarily	O
follows	O
that	O
it	O
is	O
not	O
only	O
more	O
distant	O
from	O
time	O
's	O
beginning	O
but	O
nearer	O
its	O
end	O
.	O

The	O
secular	O
cooling	O
that	O
must	O
someday	O
overtake	O
our	O
planet	O
has	O
already	O
gone	O
far	O
indeed	O
with	O
our	O
neighbour	O
.	O

Its	O
physical	O
condition	O
is	O
still	O
largely	O
a	O
mystery	O
,	O
but	O
we	O
know	O
now	O
that	O
even	O
in	O
its	O
equatorial	O
region	O
the	O
midday	O
temperature	O
barely	O
approaches	O
that	O
of	O
our	O
coldest	O
winter	O
.	O

Its	O
air	O
is	O
much	O
more	O
attenuated	O
than	O
ours	O
,	O
its	O
oceans	O
have	O
shrunk	O
until	O
they	O
cover	O
but	O
a	O
third	O
of	O
its	O
surface	O
,	O
and	O
as	O
its	O
slow	O
seasons	O
change	O
huge	O
snowcaps	O
gather	O
and	O
melt	O
about	O
either	O
pole	O
and	O
periodically	O
inundate	O
its	O
temperate	O
zones	O
.	O

That	O
last	O
stage	O
of	O
exhaustion	O
,	O
which	O
to	O
us	O
is	O
still	O
incredibly	O
remote	O
,	O
has	O
become	O
a	O
present-day	O
problem	O
for	O
the	O
inhabitants	O
of	O
Mars	O
.	O

The	O
immediate	O
pressure	O
of	O
necessity	O
has	O
brightened	O
their	O
intellects	O
,	O
enlarged	O
their	O
powers	O
,	O
and	O
hardened	O
their	O
hearts	O
.	O

And	O
looking	O
across	O
space	O
with	O
instruments	O
,	O
and	O
intelligences	O
such	O
as	O
we	O
have	O
scarcely	O
dreamed	O
of	O
,	O
they	O
see	O
,	O
at	O
its	O
nearest	O
distance	O
only	O
35,000,000	O
of	O
miles	O
sunward	O
of	O
them	O
,	O
a	O
morning	O
star	O
of	O
hope	O
,	O
our	O
own	O
warmer	O
planet	O
,	O
green	O
with	O
vegetation	O
and	O
grey	O
with	O
water	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
cloudy	O
atmosphere	O
eloquent	O
of	O
fertility	O
,	O
with	O
glimpses	O
through	O
its	O
drifting	O
cloud	O
wisps	O
of	O
broad	O
stretches	O
of	O
populous	O
country	O
and	O
narrow	O
,	O
navy-crowded	O
seas	O
.	O

And	O
we	O
men	O
,	O
the	O
creatures	O
who	O
inhabit	O
this	O
earth	O
,	O
must	O
be	O
to	O
them	O
at	O
least	O
as	O
alien	O
and	O
lowly	O
as	O
are	O
the	O
monkeys	O
and	O
lemurs	O
to	O
us	O
.	O

The	O
intellectual	O
side	O
of	O
man	O
already	O
admits	O
that	O
life	O
is	O
an	O
incessant	O
struggle	O
for	O
existence	O
,	O
and	O
it	O
would	O
seem	O
that	O
this	O
too	O
is	O
the	O
belief	O
of	O
the	O
minds	O
upon	O
Mars	O
.	O

Their	O
world	O
is	O
far	O
gone	O
in	O
its	O
cooling	O
and	O
this	O
world	O
is	O
still	O
crowded	O
with	O
life	O
,	O
but	O
crowded	O
only	O
with	O
what	O
they	O
regard	O
as	O
inferior	O
animals	O
.	O

To	O
carry	O
warfare	O
sunward	O
is	O
,	O
indeed	O
,	O
their	O
only	O
escape	O
from	O
the	O
destruction	O
that	O
,	O
generation	O
after	O
generation	O
,	O
creeps	O
upon	O
them	O
.	O

And	O
before	O
we	O
judge	O
of	O
them	O
too	O
harshly	O
we	O
must	O
remember	O
what	O
ruthless	O
and	O
utter	O
destruction	O
our	O
own	O
species	O
has	O
wrought	O
,	O
not	O
only	O
upon	O
animals	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
vanished	O
bison	O
and	O
the	O
dodo	O
,	O
but	O
upon	O
its	O
inferior	O
races	O
.	O

The	O
Tasmanians	O
,	O
in	O
spite	O
of	O
their	O
human	O
likeness	O
,	O
were	O
entirely	O
swept	O
out	O
of	O
existence	O
in	O
a	O
war	O
of	O
extermination	O
waged	O
by	O
European	O
immigrants	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
space	O
of	O
fifty	O
years	O
.	O

Are	O
we	O
such	O
apostles	O
of	O
mercy	O
as	O
to	O
complain	O
if	O
the	O
Martians	O
warred	O
in	O
the	O
same	O
spirit	O
?	O

The	O
Martians	O
seem	O
to	O
have	O
calculated	O
their	O
descent	O
with	O
amazing	O
subtlety	O
--	O
their	O
mathematical	O
learning	O
is	O
evidently	O
far	O
in	O
excess	O
of	O
ours	O
--	O
and	O
to	O
have	O
carried	O
out	O
their	O
preparations	O
with	O
a	O
well-nigh	O
perfect	O
unanimity	O
.	O

Had	O
our	O
instruments	O
permitted	O
it	O
,	O
we	O
might	O
have	O
seen	O
the	O
gathering	O
trouble	O
far	O
back	O
in	O
the	O
nineteenth	O
century	O
.	O

Men	O
like	O
Schiaparelli	O
watched	O
the	O
red	O
planet	O
--	O
it	O
is	O
odd	O
,	O
by-the-bye	O
,	O
that	O
for	O
countless	O
centuries	O
Mars	O
has	O
been	O
the	O
star	O
of	O
war	O
--	O
but	O
failed	O
to	O
interpret	O
the	O
fluctuating	O
appearances	O
of	O
the	O
markings	O
they	O
mapped	O
so	O
well	O
.	O

All	O
that	O
time	O
the	O
Martians	O
must	O
have	O
been	O
getting	O
ready	O
.	O

During	O
the	O
opposition	EVENT
of	O
1894	O
a	O
great	O
light	O
was	O
seen	EVENT
on	O
the	O
illuminated	EVENT
part	O
of	O
the	O
disk	O
,	O
first	O
at	O
the	O
Lick	O
Observatory	O
,	O
then	O
by	O
Perrotin	O
of	O
Nice	O
,	O
and	O
then	O
by	O
other	O
observers	O
.	O

English	O
readers	O
heard	EVENT
of	O
it	O
first	O
in	O
the	O
issue	O
of	O
_	O
Nature	O
_	O
dated	O
August	O
2	O
.	O

I	O
am	O
inclined	O
to	O
think	O
that	O
this	O
blaze	EVENT
may	O
have	O
been	O
the	O
casting	O
of	O
the	O
huge	O
gun	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
vast	O
pit	O
sunk	O
into	O
their	O
planet	O
,	O
from	O
which	O
their	O
shots	O
were	O
fired	O
at	O
us	O
.	O

Peculiar	O
markings	O
,	O
as	O
yet	O
unexplained	O
,	O
were	O
seen	O
near	O
the	O
site	O
of	O
that	O
outbreak	EVENT
during	O
the	O
next	O
two	O
oppositions	O
.	O

The	O
storm	EVENT
burst	O
upon	O
us	O
six	O
years	O
ago	O
now	O
.	O

As	O
Mars	O
approached	EVENT
opposition	O
,	O
Lavelle	O
of	O
Java	O
set	O
the	O
wires	O
of	O
the	O
astronomical	O
exchange	O
palpitating	EVENT
with	O
the	O
amazing	O
intelligence	O
of	O
a	O
huge	O
outbreak	EVENT
of	O
incandescent	O
gas	O
upon	O
the	O
planet	O
.	O

It	O
had	O
occurred	EVENT
towards	O
midnight	O
of	O
the	O
twelfth	O
;	O
and	O
the	O
spectroscope	O
,	O
to	O
which	O
he	O
had	O
at	O
once	O
resorted	O
,	O
indicated	EVENT
a	O
mass	O
of	O
flaming	EVENT
gas	O
,	O
chiefly	O
hydrogen	O
,	O
moving	EVENT
with	O
an	O
enormous	O
velocity	O
towards	O
this	O
earth	O
.	O

This	O
jet	EVENT
of	O
fire	EVENT
had	O
become	O
invisible	EVENT
about	O
a	O
quarter	O
past	O
twelve	O
.	O

He	O
compared	EVENT
it	O
to	O
a	O
colossal	O
puff	O
of	O
flame	O
suddenly	O
and	O
violently	O
squirted	O
out	O
of	O
the	O
planet	O
,	O
"	O
as	O
flaming	O
gases	O
rushed	O
out	O
of	O
a	O
gun	O
.	O
"	O

A	O
singularly	O
appropriate	O
phrase	O
it	O
proved	O
.	O

Yet	O
the	O
next	O
day	O
there	O
was	O
nothing	O
of	O
this	O
in	O
the	O
papers	O
except	O
a	O
little	O
note	O
in	O
the	O
_	O
Daily	O
Telegraph	O
_	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
world	O
went	O
in	O
ignorance	O
of	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
gravest	O
dangers	O
that	O
ever	O
threatened	O
the	O
human	O
race	O
.	O

I	O
might	O
not	O
have	O
heard	O
of	O
the	O
eruption	EVENT
at	O
all	O
had	O
I	O
not	O
met	EVENT
Ogilvy	O
,	O
the	O
well-known	O
astronomer	O
,	O
at	O
Ottershaw	O
.	O

He	O
was	O
immensely	O
excited	EVENT
at	O
the	O
news	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
the	O
excess	O
of	O
his	O
feelings	O
invited	EVENT
me	O
up	O
to	O
take	O
a	O
turn	O
with	O
him	O
that	O
night	O
in	O
a	O
scrutiny	O
of	O
the	O
red	O
planet	O
.	O

In	O
spite	O
of	O
all	O
that	O
has	O
happened	O
since	O
,	O
I	O
still	O
remember	EVENT
that	O
vigil	EVENT
very	O
distinctly	O
:	O
the	O
black	O
and	O
silent	O
observatory	O
,	O
the	O
shadowed	O
lantern	O
throwing	O
a	O
feeble	O
glow	EVENT
upon	O
the	O
floor	O
in	O
the	O
corner	O
,	O
the	O
steady	O
ticking	O
of	O
the	O
clockwork	O
of	O
the	O
telescope	O
,	O
the	O
little	O
slit	O
in	O
the	O
roof	O
--	O
an	O
oblong	O
profundity	O
with	O
the	O
stardust	O
streaked	O
across	O
it	O
.	O

Ogilvy	O
moved	EVENT
about	O
,	O
invisible	O
but	O
audible	O
.	O

Looking	O
through	O
the	O
telescope	O
,	O
one	O
saw	O
a	O
circle	O
of	O
deep	O
blue	O
and	O
the	O
little	O
round	O
planet	O
swimming	O
in	O
the	O
field	O
.	O

It	O
seemed	O
such	O
a	O
little	O
thing	O
,	O
so	O
bright	O
and	O
small	O
and	O
still	O
,	O
faintly	O
marked	O
with	O
transverse	O
stripes	O
,	O
and	O
slightly	O
flattened	O
from	O
the	O
perfect	O
round	O
.	O

But	O
so	O
little	O
it	O
was	O
,	O
so	O
silvery	O
warm	O
--	O
a	O
pin	O
's	O
-	O
head	O
of	O
light	O
!	O

It	O
was	O
as	O
if	O
it	O
quivered	O
,	O
but	O
really	O
this	O
was	O
the	O
telescope	O
vibrating	EVENT
with	O
the	O
activity	EVENT
of	O
the	O
clockwork	O
that	O
kept	O
the	O
planet	O
in	O
view	O
.	O

As	O
I	O
watched	EVENT
,	O
the	O
planet	O
seemed	O
to	O
grow	O
larger	O
and	O
smaller	O
and	O
to	O
advance	O
and	O
recede	O
,	O
but	O
that	O
was	O
simply	O
that	O
my	O
eye	O
was	O
tired	O
.	O

Forty	O
millions	O
of	O
miles	O
it	O
was	O
from	O
us	O
--	O
more	O
than	O
forty	O
millions	O
of	O
miles	O
of	O
void	O
.	O

Few	O
people	O
realise	O
the	O
immensity	O
of	O
vacancy	O
in	O
which	O
the	O
dust	O
of	O
the	O
material	O
universe	O
swims	O
.	O

Near	O
it	O
in	O
the	O
field	O
,	O
I	O
remember	EVENT
,	O
were	O
three	O
faint	O
points	O
of	O
light	O
,	O
three	O
telescopic	O
stars	O
infinitely	O
remote	O
,	O
and	O
all	O
around	O
it	O
was	O
the	O
unfathomable	O
darkness	O
of	O
empty	O
space	O
.	O

You	O
know	O
how	O
that	O
blackness	O
looks	O
on	O
a	O
frosty	O
starlight	O
night	O
.	O

In	O
a	O
telescope	O
it	O
seems	O
far	O
profounder	O
.	O

And	O
invisible	O
to	O
me	O
because	O
it	O
was	O
so	O
remote	O
and	O
small	O
,	O
flying	EVENT
swiftly	O
and	O
steadily	O
towards	O
me	O
across	O
that	O
incredible	O
distance	O
,	O
drawing	EVENT
nearer	O
every	O
minute	O
by	O
so	O
many	O
thousands	O
of	O
miles	O
,	O
came	EVENT
the	O
Thing	O
they	O
were	O
sending	EVENT
us	O
,	O
the	O
Thing	O
that	O
was	O
to	O
bring	O
so	O
much	O
struggle	O
and	O
calamity	O
and	O
death	O
to	O
the	O
earth	O
.	O

I	O
never	O
dreamed	O
of	O
it	O
then	O
as	O
I	O
watched	EVENT
;	O
no	O
one	O
on	O
earth	O
dreamed	O
of	O
that	O
unerring	O
missile	O
.	O

That	O
night	O
,	O
too	O
,	O
there	O
was	O
another	O
jetting	EVENT
out	O
of	O
gas	EVENT
from	O
the	O
distant	O
planet	O
.	O

I	O
saw	O
it	O
.	O

A	O
reddish	O
flash	EVENT
at	O
the	O
edge	O
,	O
the	O
slightest	O
projection	EVENT
of	O
the	O
outline	O
just	O
as	O
the	O
chronometer	O
struck	EVENT
midnight	O
;	O
and	O
at	O
that	O
I	O
told	EVENT
Ogilvy	O
and	O
he	O
took	EVENT
my	O
place	O
.	O

The	O
night	O
was	O
warm	O
and	O
I	O
was	O
thirsty	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
went	O
stretching	EVENT
my	O
legs	O
clumsily	O
and	O
feeling	EVENT
my	O
way	O
in	O
the	O
darkness	O
,	O
to	O
the	O
little	O
table	O
where	O
the	O
siphon	O
stood	O
,	O
while	O
Ogilvy	O
exclaimed	EVENT
at	O
the	O
streamer	EVENT
of	O
gas	EVENT
that	O
came	EVENT
out	O
towards	O
us	O
.	O

That	O
night	O
another	O
invisible	O
missile	O
started	EVENT
on	O
its	O
way	O
to	O
the	O
earth	O
from	O
Mars	O
,	O
just	O
a	O
second	O
or	O
so	O
under	O
twenty-four	O
hours	O
after	O
the	O
first	O
one	O
.	O

I	O
remember	EVENT
how	O
I	O
sat	O
on	O
the	O
table	O
there	O
in	O
the	O
blackness	O
,	O
with	O
patches	O
of	O
green	O
and	O
crimson	O
swimming	EVENT
before	O
my	O
eyes	O
.	O

I	O
wished	EVENT
I	O
had	O
a	O
light	O
to	O
smoke	O
by	O
,	O
little	O
suspecting	O
the	O
meaning	O
of	O
the	O
minute	O
gleam	EVENT
I	O
had	O
seen	EVENT
and	O
all	O
that	O
it	O
would	O
presently	O
bring	O
me	O
.	O

Ogilvy	O
watched	EVENT
till	O
one	O
,	O
and	O
then	O
gave	EVENT
it	O
up	O
;	O
and	O
we	O
lit	EVENT
the	O
lantern	O
and	O
walked	EVENT
over	O
to	O
his	O
house	O
.	O

Down	O
below	O
in	O
the	O
darkness	O
were	O
Ottershaw	O
and	O
Chertsey	O
and	O
all	O
their	O
hundreds	O
of	O
people	O
,	O
sleeping	O
in	O
peace	O
.	O

He	O
was	O
full	O
of	O
speculation	EVENT
that	O
night	O
about	O
the	O
condition	O
of	O
Mars	O
,	O
and	O
scoffed	EVENT
at	O
the	O
vulgar	O
idea	O
of	O
its	O
having	O
inhabitants	O
who	O
were	O
signalling	O
us	O
.	O

His	O
idea	EVENT
was	O
that	O
meteorites	O
might	O
be	O
falling	O
in	O
a	O
heavy	O
shower	O
upon	O
the	O
planet	O
,	O
or	O
that	O
a	O
huge	O
volcanic	O
explosion	O
was	O
in	O
progress	O
.	O

He	O
pointed	EVENT
out	O
to	O
me	O
how	O
unlikely	O
it	O
was	O
that	O
organic	O
evolution	O
had	O
taken	O
the	O
same	O
direction	O
in	O
the	O
two	O
adjacent	O
planets	O
.	O