The Heat-Ray

After the glimpse I had had of the Martians emerging from the cylinder in which they had come to the earth from their planet, a kind of fascination paralysed my actions. I remained standing knee-deep in the heather, staring at the mound that hid them. I was a battleground of fear and curiosity.

I had caught a glimpse of the Martians emerging from the cylinder that had brought them to Earth from their planet. Afterward, a kind of fascination left me unable to move. I stood knee-deep in the heather, staring at the mound that hid them. Fear and curiosity battled within me.

I did not dare to go back towards the pit, but I felt a passionate longing to peer into it. I began walking, therefore, in a big curve, seeking some point of vantage and continually looking at the sand-heaps that hid these new-comers to our earth. Once a leash of thin black whips, like the arms of an octopus, flashed across the sunset and was immediately withdrawn, and afterwards a thin rod rose up, joint by joint, bearing at its apex a circular disk that spun with a wobbling motion. What could be going on there?

I did not dare go back toward the pit, but I desperately wanted to look inside. So I walked in a wide curve, looking for a place where I could see into the pit. I kept watching the sand heaps that hid these newcomers to our earth. At one point, a group of thin black whips, like the arms of an octopus, flashed against the sunset. They were pulled back at once. Then a thin rod rose, joint by joint, with a circular disk at its tip. The disk spun and wobbled. What could be going on there?

Most of the spectators had gathered in one or two groups—one a little crowd towards Woking, the other a knot of people in the direction of Chobham. Evidently they shared my mental conflict. There were few near me. One man I approached—he was, I perceived, a neighbour of mine, though I did not know his name—and accosted. But it was scarcely a time for articulate conversation.

Most of the spectators had gathered in one or two groups. One was a small crowd toward Woking, the other a cluster of people in the direction of Chobham. They evidently shared my conflicting feelings. Few people were near me. I approached one man and spoke to him. I realized he was a neighbor of mine, though I did not know his name. But it was hardly a time for coherent conversation.

“What ugly brutes!” he said. “Good God! What ugly brutes!” He repeated this over and over again.

“What ugly brutes!” he said. “Good God! What ugly brutes!” He said this over and over again.

“Did you see a man in the pit?” I said; but he made no answer to that. We became silent, and stood watching for a time side by side, deriving, I fancy, a certain comfort in one another’s company. Then I shifted my position to a little knoll that gave me the advantage of a yard or more of elevation and when I looked for him presently he was walking towards Woking.

“Did you see a man in the pit?” I asked, but he did not answer. We fell silent and stood watching side by side for a while. I think we found some comfort in each other’s company. Then I moved to a small hill that gave me a view from a yard or so higher up. When I looked for him a little later, he was walking toward Woking.

The sunset faded to twilight before anything further happened. The crowd far away on the left, towards Woking, seemed to grow, and I heard now a faint murmur from it. The little knot of people towards Chobham dispersed. There was scarcely an intimation of movement from the pit.

The sunset faded into twilight before anything else happened. The distant crowd to the left, toward Woking, seemed to grow. I could now hear a faint murmur from the crowd. The small group of people toward Chobham scattered. There was hardly any sign of movement from the pit.

It was this, as much as anything, that gave people courage, and I suppose the new arrivals from Woking also helped to restore confidence. At any rate, as the dusk came on a slow, intermittent movement upon the sand-pits began, a movement that seemed to gather force as the stillness of the evening about the cylinder remained unbroken. Vertical black figures in twos and threes would advance, stop, watch, and advance again, spreading out as they did so in a thin irregular crescent that promised to enclose the pit in its attenuated horns. I, too, on my side began to move towards the pit.

This, as much as anything, gave people courage. I suppose the newcomers from Woking also helped restore confidence. In any case, as dusk fell, people began to move slowly and hesitantly across the sand pits. Their movement seemed to gather force as the evening silence around the cylinder remained unbroken. Upright black figures advanced in twos and threes, stopped, watched, and then advanced again. As they moved, they spread out in a thin, irregular crescent. Its narrowing ends seemed ready to close around the pit. I, too, began to move toward the pit from where I stood.

Then I saw some cabmen and others had walked boldly into the sand-pits, and heard the clatter of hoofs and the gride of wheels. I saw a lad trundling off the barrow of apples. And then, within thirty yards of the pit, advancing from the direction of Horsell, I noted a little black knot of men, the foremost of whom was waving a white flag.

Then I saw that some cab drivers and others had walked boldly into the sandpits. I heard hooves clattering and wheels grinding. I saw a boy wheeling away the apple cart. Then I noticed a small, dark cluster of men approaching from the direction of Horsell. They were within thirty yards of the pit, and the man in front was waving a white flag.

This was the Deputation. There had been a hasty consultation, and since the Martians were evidently, in spite of their repulsive forms, intelligent creatures, it had been resolved to show them, by approaching them with signals, that we too were intelligent.

This was the delegation. After a hurried discussion, they had decided to approach the Martians with signals. Despite their repulsive forms, the Martians were clearly intelligent creatures, and the signals would show them that we were intelligent too.

Flutter, flutter, went the flag, first to the right, then to the left. It was too far for me to recognise anyone there, but afterwards I learned that Ogilvy, Stent, and Henderson were with others in this attempt at communication. This little group had in its advance dragged inward, so to speak, the circumference of the now almost complete circle of people, and a number of dim black figures followed it at discreet distances.

The flag fluttered, first to the right, then to the left. The people were too far away for me to recognize anyone. But I later learned that Ogilvy, Stent, and Henderson were among those trying to communicate. As the small group moved forward, it drew the edge of the now almost complete circle of people inward, so to speak. A number of dim black figures followed the group at a discreet distance.

Suddenly there was a flash of light, and a quantity of luminous greenish smoke came out of the pit in three distinct puffs, which drove up, one after the other, straight into the still air.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light. Glowing greenish smoke came out of the pit in three distinct puffs. They rose straight into the still air, one after another.

This smoke (or flame, perhaps, would be the better word for it) was so bright that the deep blue sky overhead and the hazy stretches of brown common towards Chertsey, set with black pine trees, seemed to darken abruptly as these puffs arose, and to remain the darker after their dispersal. At the same time a faint hissing sound became audible.

This smoke was so bright that the deep blue sky overhead seemed to darken suddenly as the puffs rose. Perhaps flame would be a better word for it. The hazy stretches of brown common toward Chertsey, dotted with black pine trees, also seemed to darken. Both the sky and the common seemed to stay darker after the puffs faded. At the same time, a faint hissing sound could be heard.

Beyond the pit stood the little wedge of people with the white flag at its apex, arrested by these phenomena, a little knot of small vertical black shapes upon the black ground. As the green smoke arose, their faces flashed out pallid green, and faded again as it vanished. Then slowly the hissing passed into a humming, into a long, loud, droning noise. Slowly a humped shape rose out of the pit, and the ghost of a beam of light seemed to flicker out from it.

Beyond the pit, the small wedge of people stood still, stopped by these strange events. The white flag was at the point of the wedge. The people looked like a little cluster of upright black shapes against the black ground. As the green smoke rose, their faces flashed pale green, then faded again as the smoke vanished. Slowly, the hissing turned into a hum, then into a long, loud drone. A humped shape slowly rose out of the pit. A faint trace of a light beam seemed to flicker out from it.

Forthwith flashes of actual flame, a bright glare leaping from one to another, sprang from the scattered group of men. It was as if some invisible jet impinged upon them and flashed into white flame. It was as if each man were suddenly and momentarily turned to fire.

Suddenly, flames sprang from the scattered group of men, a bright glare leaping from one to another. It was as if an invisible jet struck them and burst into white flame. Each man seemed to turn into fire for an instant.

Then, by the light of their own destruction, I saw them staggering and falling, and their supporters turning to run.

Then, by the light of their own destruction, I saw them stagger and fall. Their supporters turned and ran.

I stood staring, not as yet realising that this was death leaping from man to man in that little distant crowd. All I felt was that it was something very strange. An almost noiseless and blinding flash of light, and a man fell headlong and lay still; and as the unseen shaft of heat passed over them, pine trees burst into fire, and every dry furze bush became with one dull thud a mass of flames. And far away towards Knaphill I saw the flashes of trees and hedges and wooden buildings suddenly set alight.

I stood staring, not yet realizing that death was leaping from person to person in that small, distant crowd. All I felt was that something very strange was happening. An almost silent, blinding flash of light appeared, and a man fell headfirst and lay still. As the unseen beam of heat passed over the crowd, pine trees burst into flames. Every dry furze bush became a mass of flames with a dull thud. Far away toward Knaphill, I saw trees, hedges, and wooden buildings suddenly flash into flames.

It was sweeping round swiftly and steadily, this flaming death, this invisible, inevitable sword of heat. I perceived it coming towards me by the flashing bushes it touched, and was too astounded and stupefied to stir. I heard the crackle of fire in the sand-pits and the sudden squeal of a horse that was as suddenly stilled. Then it was as if an invisible yet intensely heated finger were drawn through the heather between me and the Martians, and all along a curving line beyond the sand-pits the dark ground smoked and crackled. Something fell with a crash far away to the left where the road from Woking station opens out on the common. Forth-with the hissing and humming ceased, and the black, dome-like object sank slowly out of sight into the pit.

This flaming death, this invisible, unstoppable sword of heat, swept around swiftly and steadily. I saw it coming toward me as the bushes it touched flashed into flames. I was too stunned to move. I heard fire crackling in the sand pits and a horse suddenly squealing, only to fall silent just as suddenly. Then it was as if an invisible but intensely hot finger were drawn through the heather between me and the Martians. The dark ground smoked and crackled along a curving line beyond the sand pits. Something crashed down far to the left, where the road from Woking station opens onto the common. The hissing and humming stopped at once, and the black, dome-shaped object slowly sank out of sight into the pit.

All this had happened with such swiftness that I had stood motionless, dumbfounded and dazzled by the flashes of light. Had that death swept through a full circle, it must inevitably have slain me in my surprise. But it passed and spared me, and left the night about me suddenly dark and unfamiliar.

All this happened so quickly that I stood still, stunned and dazzled by the flashes of light. If that deadly force had swept in a full circle, it would surely have killed me before I could react. But it passed me by, leaving the night around me suddenly dark and unfamiliar.

The undulating common seemed now dark almost to blackness, except where its roadways lay grey and pale under the deep blue sky of the early night. It was dark, and suddenly void of men. Overhead the stars were mustering, and in the west the sky was still a pale, bright, almost greenish blue. The tops of the pine trees and the roofs of Horsell came out sharp and black against the western afterglow. The Martians and their appliances were altogether invisible, save for that thin mast upon which their restless mirror wobbled. Patches of bush and isolated trees here and there smoked and glowed still, and the houses towards Woking station were sending up spires of flame into the stillness of the evening air.

The rolling common now seemed almost black. Only its roads lay gray and pale under the deep blue sky of early night. It was dark and suddenly empty of people. The stars were gathering overhead, and the western sky was still a pale, bright, almost greenish blue. The tops of the pine trees and the roofs of Horsell stood out sharply in black against the western afterglow. The Martians and their equipment were completely invisible. Only the thin mast with its constantly wobbling mirror could be seen. Patches of bushes and scattered trees still smoked and glowed. The houses toward Woking station sent columns of flame into the still evening air.

Nothing was changed save for that and a terrible astonishment. The little group of black specks with the flag of white had been swept out of existence, and the stillness of the evening, so it seemed to me, had scarcely been broken.

Nothing had changed except for that and a terrible shock. The small group of black specks carrying the white flag had been wiped out. Yet the stillness of the evening seemed to me hardly disturbed.

It came to me that I was upon this dark common, helpless, unprotected, and alone. Suddenly, like a thing falling upon me from without, came—fear.

I realized I was alone on the dark common, helpless and unprotected. Suddenly, fear came over me, like something falling on me from outside.

With an effort I turned and began a stumbling run through the heather.

With effort, I turned and started running through the heather, stumbling as I went.

The fear I felt was no rational fear, but a panic terror not only of the Martians, but of the dusk and stillness all about me. Such an extraordinary effect in unmanning me it had that I ran weeping silently as a child might do. Once I had turned, I did not dare to look back.

The fear I felt was not rational. I was terrified not only of the Martians, but also of the dusk and stillness all around me. The terror overwhelmed me so completely that I ran, weeping silently like a child. Once I turned away, I did not dare look back.

I remember I felt an extraordinary persuasion that I was being played with, that presently, when I was upon the very verge of safety, this mysterious death—as swift as the passage of light—would leap after me from the pit about the cylinder, and strike me down.

I remember feeling an overwhelming conviction that I was being toyed with. I felt that, just as I was about to reach safety, the mysterious death would leap after me from the pit around the cylinder and strike me down. It would be as swift as light.