Fifteen Days of Work

For some time I stood tottering on the mound regardless of my safety. Within that noisome den from which I had emerged I had thought with a narrow intensity only of our immediate security. I had not realised what had been happening to the world, had not anticipated this startling vision of unfamiliar things. I had expected to see Sheen in ruins—I found about me the landscape, weird and lurid, of another planet.

For some time, I stood unsteadily on the mound, without regard for my safety. In the foul den I had escaped from, I had thought intensely and narrowly about our immediate safety. I had not realized what had been happening to the world. I had not expected to see such strange and startling things. I had expected to see Sheen in ruins. Instead, I found myself surrounded by the weird, intensely colored landscape of another planet.

For that moment I touched an emotion beyond the common range of men, yet one that the poor brutes we dominate know only too well. I felt as a rabbit might feel returning to his burrow and suddenly confronted by the work of a dozen busy navvies digging the foundations of a house. I felt the first inkling of a thing that presently grew quite clear in my mind, that oppressed me for many days, a sense of dethronement, a persuasion that I was no longer a master, but an animal among the animals, under the Martian heel. With us it would be as with them, to lurk and watch, to run and hide; the fear and empire of man had passed away.

For a moment, I felt something beyond the usual range of human experience. Yet the poor animals we rule know that feeling only too well. I felt like a rabbit returning to its burrow, only to find a dozen busy laborers digging the foundations of a house. I had the first hint of something that soon became clear to me and weighed on me for many days. I felt as if I had been dethroned. I became convinced that I was no longer a master, but an animal among animals, under the Martian heel. We would be like the animals, lurking and watching, running and hiding. The time when humans ruled and were feared had passed.

But so soon as this strangeness had been realised it passed, and my dominant motive became the hunger of my long and dismal fast. In the direction away from the pit I saw, beyond a red-covered wall, a patch of garden ground unburied. This gave me a hint, and I went knee-deep, and sometimes neck-deep, in the red weed. The density of the weed gave me a reassuring sense of hiding. The wall was some six feet high, and when I attempted to clamber it I found I could not lift my feet to the crest. So I went along by the side of it, and came to a corner and a rockwork that enabled me to get to the top, and tumble into the garden I coveted. Here I found some young onions, a couple of gladiolus bulbs, and a quantity of immature carrots, all of which I secured, and, scrambling over a ruined wall, went on my way through scarlet and crimson trees towards Kew—it was like walking through an avenue of gigantic blood drops—possessed with two ideas: to get more food, and to limp, as soon and as far as my strength permitted, out of this accursed unearthly region of the pit.

But as soon as I noticed how strange everything was, the feeling passed. The hunger from my long, miserable fast became my main concern. Away from the pit, beyond a wall covered in red weed, I saw a patch of garden that was not buried. The sight gave me an idea, and I waded through the red weed, knee-deep and sometimes neck-deep. The thick weed gave me a reassuring sense of being hidden. The wall was about six feet high. When I tried to climb it, I found I could not lift my feet to the top. So I followed the wall to a corner, where a rock garden let me reach the top. I tumbled into the garden I had set my sights on. There I found some young onions, a couple of gladiolus bulbs, and a quantity of unripe carrots. I took all of them and scrambled over a ruined wall. Then I continued toward Kew through scarlet and crimson trees. It was like walking down an avenue lined with gigantic drops of blood. I had two things on my mind: getting more food and limping out of that cursed, unearthly region around the pit, as soon and as far as my strength allowed.

Some way farther, in a grassy place, was a group of mushrooms which also I devoured, and then I came upon a brown sheet of flowing shallow water, where meadows used to be. These fragments of nourishment served only to whet my hunger. At first I was surprised at this flood in a hot, dry summer, but afterwards I discovered that it was caused by the tropical exuberance of the red weed. Directly this extraordinary growth encountered water it straightway became gigantic and of unparalleled fecundity. Its seeds were simply poured down into the water of the Wey and Thames, and its swiftly growing and Titanic water fronds speedily choked both those rivers.

A little farther on, I found a group of mushrooms in a grassy spot and devoured them too. Then I came upon a shallow sheet of brown, flowing water where meadows used to be. These scraps of food only made me hungrier. At first, I was surprised to see a flood during a hot, dry summer. But I later discovered that the red weed’s tropical abundance had caused it. As soon as this extraordinary growth reached water, it became gigantic and reproduced at an astonishing rate. Its seeds poured into the waters of the Wey and Thames. Its enormous water fronds grew swiftly and soon choked both rivers.

At Putney, as I afterwards saw, the bridge was almost lost in a tangle of this weed, and at Richmond, too, the Thames water poured in a broad and shallow stream across the meadows of Hampton and Twickenham. As the water spread the weed followed them, until the ruined villas of the Thames valley were for a time lost in this red swamp, whose margin I explored, and much of the desolation the Martians had caused was concealed.

As I later saw, the bridge at Putney was almost hidden in a tangle of this weed. At Richmond, too, the Thames flowed in a broad, shallow stream across the meadows of Hampton and Twickenham. As the water spread, the weed followed. For a time, the ruined villas of the Thames valley were lost in this red swamp. I explored its edge, and much of the destruction the Martians had caused was hidden by it.

In the end the red weed succumbed almost as quickly as it had spread. A cankering disease, due, it is believed, to the action of certain bacteria, presently seized upon it. Now by the action of natural selection, all terrestrial plants have acquired a resisting power against bacterial diseases—they never succumb without a severe struggle, but the red weed rotted like a thing already dead. The fronds became bleached, and then shrivelled and brittle. They broke off at the least touch, and the waters that had stimulated their early growth carried their last vestiges out to sea.

In the end, the red weed died off almost as quickly as it had spread. A disease soon attacked it, causing it to decay. The disease is believed to have been caused by certain bacteria. Through natural selection, all plants on Earth have developed resistance to bacterial diseases. They never die from them without a hard struggle. But the red weed rotted like something already dead. Its fronds turned pale, then shriveled and became brittle. They broke off at the slightest touch. The waters that had encouraged their early growth carried their last traces out to sea.

My first act on coming to this water was, of course, to slake my thirst. I drank a great deal of it and, moved by an impulse, gnawed some fronds of red weed; but they were watery, and had a sickly, metallic taste. I found the water was sufficiently shallow for me to wade securely, although the red weed impeded my feet a little; but the flood evidently got deeper towards the river, and I turned back to Mortlake. I managed to make out the road by means of occasional ruins of its villas and fences and lamps, and so presently I got out of this spate and made my way to the hill going up towards Roehampton and came out on Putney Common.

When I reached the water, my first act was, of course, to quench my thirst. I drank a great deal and, on impulse, chewed some fronds of red weed. But they were watery and had a sickly, metallic taste. The water was shallow enough for me to wade safely, although the red weed got in my way a little. But the flood was clearly deeper toward the river, so I turned back to Mortlake. I managed to follow the road by the occasional ruins of villas, fences, and lamps. Eventually I got out of the flood and made my way to the hill leading up toward Roehampton. From there I came out on Putney Common.

Here the scenery changed from the strange and unfamiliar to the wreckage of the familiar: patches of ground exhibited the devastation of a cyclone, and in a few score yards I would come upon perfectly undisturbed spaces, houses with their blinds trimly drawn and doors closed, as if they had been left for a day by the owners, or as if their inhabitants slept within. The red weed was less abundant; the tall trees along the lane were free from the red creeper. I hunted for food among the trees, finding nothing, and I also raided a couple of silent houses, but they had already been broken into and ransacked. I rested for the remainder of the daylight in a shrubbery, being, in my enfeebled condition, too fatigued to push on.

Here, the scenery changed from the strange and unfamiliar to the wreckage of what I knew. Some patches of ground looked as if a cyclone had torn through them. Yet within a few dozen yards, I would find places that were completely undisturbed. Houses had their blinds neatly drawn and their doors closed. They looked as if their owners had left for the day, or as if the inhabitants were asleep inside. The red weed was less abundant, and the tall trees along the lane were free of the red creeper. I searched for food among the trees but found nothing. I also searched a couple of silent houses, but they had already been broken into and ransacked. I spent the rest of the daylight resting among some bushes. In my weakened state, I was too tired to go on.

All this time I saw no human beings, and no signs of the Martians. I encountered a couple of hungry-looking dogs, but both hurried circuitously away from the advances I made them. Near Roehampton I had seen two human skeletons—not bodies, but skeletons, picked clean—and in the wood by me I found the crushed and scattered bones of several cats and rabbits and the skull of a sheep. But though I gnawed parts of these in my mouth, there was nothing to be got from them.

All this time I saw no people and no signs of the Martians. I came across two hungry-looking dogs, but both hurried away in a roundabout path when I approached them. Near Roehampton I had seen two human skeletons. They were not bodies, but skeletons picked clean. In the woods nearby, I found the crushed and scattered bones of several cats and rabbits, and a sheep’s skull. But though I gnawed on parts of the bones, there was nothing to be got from them.

After sunset I struggled on along the road towards Putney, where I think the Heat-Ray must have been used for some reason. And in the garden beyond Roehampton I got a quantity of immature potatoes, sufficient to stay my hunger. From this garden one looked down upon Putney and the river. The aspect of the place in the dusk was singularly desolate: blackened trees, blackened, desolate ruins, and down the hill the sheets of the flooded river, red-tinged with the weed. And over all—silence. It filled me with indescribable terror to think how swiftly that desolating change had come.

After sunset, I struggled along the road toward Putney, where I think the Heat-Ray must have been used for some reason. In a garden beyond Roehampton, I found enough unripe potatoes to ease my hunger. From the garden, I could look down over Putney and the river. In the fading light, the place looked strangely desolate. There were blackened trees and blackened, deserted ruins. Down the hill, the flooded river spread out in broad sheets, tinted red by the weed. Silence lay over it all. It terrified me beyond words to think how quickly that devastating change had come.

For a time I believed that mankind had been swept out of existence, and that I stood there alone, the last man left alive. Hard by the top of Putney Hill I came upon another skeleton, with the arms dislocated and removed several yards from the rest of the body. As I proceeded I became more and more convinced that the extermination of mankind was, save for such stragglers as myself, already accomplished in this part of the world. The Martians, I thought, had gone on and left the country desolated, seeking food elsewhere. Perhaps even now they were destroying Berlin or Paris, or it might be they had gone northward.

For a while, I believed humanity had been wiped out and that I stood there alone, the last person alive. Near the top of Putney Hill, I came across another skeleton. Its arms had been pulled from their sockets and lay several yards from the rest of the body. As I went on, I became more and more convinced that humanity had already been wiped out in this part of the world, except for a few stragglers like me. I thought the Martians had moved on, leaving the country devastated as they sought food elsewhere. Perhaps they were destroying Berlin or Paris even now. Or perhaps they had gone north.