Friday Night

The most extraordinary thing to my mind, of all the strange and wonderful things that happened upon that Friday, was the dovetailing of the commonplace habits of our social order with the first beginnings of the series of events that was to topple that social order headlong. If on Friday night you had taken a pair of compasses and drawn a circle with a radius of five miles round the Woking sand-pits, I doubt if you would have had one human being outside it, unless it were some relation of Stent or of the three or four cyclists or London people lying dead on the common, whose emotions or habits were at all affected by the new-comers. Many people had heard of the cylinder, of course, and talked about it in their leisure, but it certainly did not make the sensation that an ultimatum to Germany would have done.

To my mind, the most extraordinary thing about that Friday was how ordinary life went on alongside the first events that would topple our social order. And that was among all the strange and wonderful things that happened. Suppose that on Friday night you had drawn a circle with a five-mile radius around the Woking sand-pits. I doubt that anyone outside it had their feelings or habits affected by the newcomers. The only possible exceptions were relatives of Stent or of the three or four cyclists or Londoners lying dead on the common. Many people had heard of the cylinder, of course, and talked about it in their spare time. But it certainly did not cause the sensation that an ultimatum to Germany would have caused.

In London that night poor Henderson’s telegram describing the gradual unscrewing of the shot was judged to be a canard, and his evening paper, after wiring for authentication from him and receiving no reply—the man was killed—decided not to print a special edition.

In London that night, poor Henderson’s telegram describing the gradual unscrewing of the projectile was dismissed as a hoax. His evening paper sent him a telegram asking him to confirm the report, but received no reply. Henderson had been killed. The paper therefore decided not to print a special edition.

Even within the five-mile circle the great majority of people were inert. I have already described the behaviour of the men and women to whom I spoke. All over the district people were dining and supping; working men were gardening after the labours of the day, children were being put to bed, young people were wandering through the lanes love-making, students sat over their books.

Even within the five-mile circle, the great majority of people did nothing. I have already described how the men and women I spoke to behaved. All over the district, people were eating dinner or supper. Working men were gardening after a day’s work. Children were being put to bed. Young people were walking through the lanes, courting, and students sat reading their books.

Maybe there was a murmur in the village streets, a novel and dominant topic in the public-houses, and here and there a messenger, or even an eye-witness of the later occurrences, caused a whirl of excitement, a shouting, and a running to and fro; but for the most part the daily routine of working, eating, drinking, sleeping, went on as it had done for countless years—as though no planet Mars existed in the sky. Even at Woking station and Horsell and Chobham that was the case.

Perhaps people were murmuring in the village streets, and the news was a new and dominant topic in the pubs. Here and there, a messenger, or even someone who had witnessed the later events, caused a burst of excitement. People shouted and ran to and fro. But for the most part, the daily routine of working, eating, drinking, and sleeping continued as it had for countless years. It was as though the planet Mars did not exist in the sky. The same was true even at Woking station and in Horsell and Chobham.

In Woking junction, until a late hour, trains were stopping and going on, others were shunting on the sidings, passengers were alighting and waiting, and everything was proceeding in the most ordinary way. A boy from the town, trenching on Smith’s monopoly, was selling papers with the afternoon’s news. The ringing impact of trucks, the sharp whistle of the engines from the junction, mingled with their shouts of “Men from Mars!” Excited men came into the station about nine o’clock with incredible tidings, and caused no more disturbance than drunkards might have done. People rattling Londonwards peered into the darkness outside the carriage windows, and saw only a rare, flickering, vanishing spark dance up from the direction of Horsell, a red glow and a thin veil of smoke driving across the stars, and thought that nothing more serious than a heath fire was happening. It was only round the edge of the common that any disturbance was perceptible. There were half a dozen villas burning on the Woking border. There were lights in all the houses on the common side of the three villages, and the people there kept awake till dawn.

At Woking junction, trains stopped and continued on their way until late. Others moved back and forth on the sidings. Passengers got off and waited, and everything went on as usual. A boy from the town was selling papers with the afternoon’s news, competing with Smith’s monopoly. The clang of railway trucks and the sharp whistles of engines at the junction mixed with cries of “Men from Mars!” Around nine o’clock, excited men came into the station with unbelievable news. They caused no more disturbance than drunkards might have. People riding towards London peered through the carriage windows into the darkness. They saw only an occasional spark flicker up from the direction of Horsell and vanish. A red glow shone there, and a thin veil of smoke drifted across the stars. They thought nothing more serious than a heath fire was happening. Only around the edge of the common could any disturbance be seen. Half a dozen villas were burning on the Woking border. Lights were on in all the houses on the common side of the three villages. The people there stayed awake until dawn.

A curious crowd lingered restlessly, people coming and going but the crowd remaining, both on the Chobham and Horsell bridges. One or two adventurous souls, it was afterwards found, went into the darkness and crawled quite near the Martians; but they never returned, for now and again a light-ray, like the beam of a warship’s searchlight swept the common, and the Heat-Ray was ready to follow. Save for such, that big area of common was silent and desolate, and the charred bodies lay about on it all night under the stars, and all the next day. A noise of hammering from the pit was heard by many people.

A curious crowd lingered restlessly on both the Chobham and Horsell bridges. People came and went, but the crowd remained. It was later discovered that one or two adventurous people had ventured into the darkness and crawled quite close to the Martians. But they never returned. From time to time, a ray of light swept across the common, like the beam of a warship’s searchlight. The Heat-Ray was ready to follow. Apart from those who ventured out, the great stretch of common was silent and deserted. The charred bodies lay scattered across it all night under the stars and all the next day. Many people heard hammering from the pit.

So you have the state of things on Friday night. In the centre, sticking into the skin of our old planet Earth like a poisoned dart, was this cylinder. But the poison was scarcely working yet. Around it was a patch of silent common, smouldering in places, and with a few dark, dimly seen objects lying in contorted attitudes here and there. Here and there was a burning bush or tree. Beyond was a fringe of excitement, and farther than that fringe the inflammation had not crept as yet. In the rest of the world the stream of life still flowed as it had flowed for immemorial years. The fever of war that would presently clog vein and artery, deaden nerve and destroy brain, had still to develop.

That was how things stood on Friday night. At the center, the cylinder stuck into the skin of our old planet Earth like a poisoned dart. But the poison had barely begun to work. Around the cylinder was a silent stretch of common land, smoldering in places. A few dark shapes lay here and there in twisted positions, barely visible. A bush or tree burned here and there. Beyond the common, people were excited, but the inflammation had not yet spread any farther. In the rest of the world, the stream of life still flowed as it had for countless years. The fever of war had yet to develop. It would soon clog veins and arteries, deaden nerves, and destroy the brain.

All night long the Martians were hammering and stirring, sleepless, indefatigable, at work upon the machines they were making ready, and ever and again a puff of greenish-white smoke whirled up to the starlit sky.

All night long, the Martians hammered and moved about, working tirelessly without sleep to prepare their machines. Every now and then, a puff of greenish-white smoke swirled up into the starlit sky.

About eleven a company of soldiers came through Horsell, and deployed along the edge of the common to form a cordon. Later a second company marched through Chobham to deploy on the north side of the common. Several officers from the Inkerman barracks had been on the common earlier in the day, and one, Major Eden, was reported to be missing. The colonel of the regiment came to the Chobham bridge and was busy questioning the crowd at midnight. The military authorities were certainly alive to the seriousness of the business. About eleven, the next morning’s papers were able to say, a squadron of hussars, two Maxims, and about four hundred men of the Cardigan regiment started from Aldershot.

At about eleven, a company of soldiers came through Horsell and spread out along the edge of the common. They formed a cordon. Later, a second company marched through Chobham and took up positions on the north side of the common. Several officers from the Inkerman barracks had been on the common earlier that day. One of them, Major Eden, was reported missing. The regiment’s colonel came to the Chobham bridge and was busy questioning the crowd at midnight. The military authorities were clearly aware of how serious the situation was. The next morning’s papers reported that at about eleven, a squadron of hussars, two Maxim guns, and about four hundred men of the Cardigan regiment had set out from Aldershot.

A few seconds after midnight the crowd in the Chertsey road, Woking, saw a star fall from heaven into the pine woods to the northwest. It had a greenish colour, and caused a silent brightness like summer lightning. This was the second cylinder.

A few seconds after midnight, the crowd on Chertsey Road in Woking saw a star fall from the sky. It landed in the pine woods to the northwest. The star was greenish and made a silent flash, like summer lightning. This was the second cylinder.