I moved slowly because 1 was very tired and my plans were uncertain. I had an idea of going to Leatherhead, although 1 knew there was little chance of finding my wife there. Certainly, unless they had been killed, she and my cousins would have run away.
I came to the edge of Wimbledon Common and stood there, under cover of some trees and bushes. It stretched far and wide and I hesitated on the edge of that large open space. Soon I had an odd feeling of being watched and, turning suddenly, I saw something hiding in some of the bushes. I took a step towards it, and it rose up and became a man armed with a sword. I approached him slowly. He stood silently, watching me but not moving.
As I came nearer, I saw that he was dressed in clothes as dusty and dirty as my own. His black hair fell over his eyes, and his face was dark and dirty and thin, so at first I did not recognize him.
'Stop!' he cried, when I was within ten metres of him, and I stopped. 'Where have you come from?' he said.
I thought, watching him.
'I have come from Sheen,' I said. 'I was buried near the pit the Martians made around their cylinder. I have escaped.'
'There is no food around here,' he said. 'This is my country: all this hill down to the river and up to the edge of the common. There is only food for one. Which way are you going?'
'I don't know,' I said.
He looked at me uncertainly, then his expression suddenly changed. He pointed at me.
'It's you,' he said,'— the man from Woking. And you weren't killed at Weybridge?'
I recognized him at the same moment.
'You're the soldier who came into my garden.'
'What luck!' he said. 'We are lucky ones!' He put out a hand and I took it. 'I hid,' he said. 'But they didn't kill everyone. And after they went away, 1 went towards Walton across the fields. But - it's only been sixteen days and your hair is grey.' He looked over his shoulder suddenly. 'Only a bird,' he said. 'This is a bit open. Let's crawl under those bushes and talk.'
'Have you seen any Martians?' I asked. 'Since I got out -'
'They've gone away across London,' he said. 'I guess they've got a bigger camp there. The night before last I saw some lights up in the air. I believe they've built a flying-machine and are learning to fly'
I stopped, on hands and knees, because we had come to the bushes.
'Fly!'
'Yes,' he said, 'fly!'
I crawled into an open space in the bushes and sat down.
'If they manage to do that, we haven't got a chance,' I said. 'They will simply go round the world.'
'They will. But it will make things easier around here. And besides ...' he looked at me. 'Don't you believe that we're beaten? I do.'
I stared. Strange as it may seem, I had not thought of things this way, although it was perfectly obvious. 1 had still held onto some hope.
'It's finished,' he said. 'They've lost one - just one. And they've taken over the capital of the most powerful country in the world. The death of that one at Weybridge was an accident. And these are only the first ones. They keep coming. These green stars — I've seen none for five or six days, but I've no doubt they're falling somewhere every night. There's nothing we can do. We're beaten!'
1 did not answer. I sat staring in front of me, trying without success to find a way of arguing against him. Suddenly, 1 remembered the night I had watched through the telescope.
'After the tenth shot they fired no more - at least until the first cylinder came.'
'How do you know?' said the soldier. I explained. 'Something wrong with the gun?' he said. 'But even it there is, they'll get it right again.'We sat looking at each other.
'And what will they do with us?' I said.
'That's what I've been thinking.' he said. 'It seems to me that at the moment they catch us when they want food. But they won't keep doing that. As soon as they've destroyed all our guns and ships and railways, they'll begin to catch us one by one, picking the best and keeping us in cages and things. They haven't begun on us yet. Don't you see that?'
'Not begun!' I cried.
'Not begun. And instead of rushing around blindly, we've got to change to suit the new situation. That's how I see it.'
'But if that's true,' I said, 'what is there to live for?'
'There won't be anything important for a million years or more - no music, no art and no nice little visits to restaurants. No entertainment. But men like me are going to go on living — so human beings can continue. And if I'm not mistaken, you'll show how strong you are too. We aren't going to be killed. And I don't intend to be caught, either, and caged and fattened. Ugh!'
'You don't mean —'
'I do. I'm going on. Under their feet. I've thought about it. We've got to learn while we've got a chance. And we've got to live and stay independent while we learn. That's what has to be done.'I stared, surprised and greatly affected by the man's courage.
'Good God!' I said. 'You are a brave man.' And suddenly 1 held his hand. 'Go on,' I said.
'Well, people who intend to