CHAPTER EIGHT

Friday Evening

That Friday, it seemed that no one was too concerned about what had happened. This was especially the case for anyone living more than five miles outside of Woking. The London newspaper had not even printed a story, because Henderson, who had been killed, did not send them a second message to confirm everything he had first reported.

In Woking, itself, people talked, of course about what had happened. Crowds would gather round those who had lived to tell the story about the heat ray. However, the fact that those same deadly Martians were just a mile or two away, did not prevent the people of Woking from living their ordinary daily lives. Families dined in restaurants, children did their homework, and lovers kissed in the street, just the same as always. Travelers would pass through Woking and see only the faint glow of red light and smoke rising up in the distance, where the fields still burned. It looked like nothing to them.

In reality, of course, it was more than just fields, but entire homes that were still afire. The people who lived near the sandpits kept away from the area and watched and waited at the bridges, which they thought was a safe distance. Those who dared to get a closer look at the Martians, and there were very few who did, never returned from their attempt. Occasionally, a green cloud of smoke would rise up from the fields, accompanied by the sound of hammering. The Martians worked all day and night, without rest. They seemed to be making preparations, but for what, nobody knew.

So this was the situation on Friday evening. Like a poisonous insect that has bitten into the Earth's body, the Martian vehicle remained there in the pit, readying itself for further destruction. Although the rest of the world was going about its day as if nothing were happening, soon it would fall under the sickness of war. It was simply a matter of time before the poison spread far enough.

That night, the military arrived and formed several groups around the edge of the fields. One group had tried to set up a base within the fields, but they all disappeared. All in all, about four hundred soldiers were deployed to contain the Martians' pit.

As usual, there was a crowd of people gathered in Chertsey Road. While one of the military leaders asked them questions, a second falling star came whistling through the sky above and disappeared to the Northwest. It, too, left a glowing green trail behind and sent up a flash of bright white light where it seemed to strike the earth.

(end of section)