A Dream of Armageddon by H.G. Wells
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prickly pear, and puffs of almond blossom . and out under the archway that_is built over the Piccola marina other boats were coming; and as_we came round the cape and within sight of_the mainland, another little string of boats came into view, driving before_the wind towards the south- west . in a little while a multitude had come out, the remoter just little specks of ultramarine in_the shadow of_the eastward cliff .

"' it_is love and reason,' I_said, 'fleeing from all this madness of war .'

" and though we presently saw a squadron of aeroplanes flying across the southern sky we_did_not heed it . there it_was--a line of little dots in_the sky-- and then more, dotting the south- eastern horizon, and then still more, until all that quarter of_the sky was stippled with blue specks . now they were all thin little strokes of blue, and now one and now a multitude would heel and catch the sun and become short flashes of light . they came, rising and falling and growing larger, like some huge flight of gulls or rooks or such- like birds, moving with amarvellous uniformity, and ever as_they drew nearer they spread over a greater width of sky . the southward wing flung itself in an arrow- headed cloud athwart the sun . and then suddenly they swept round to_the eastward and streamed eastward, growing smaller and smaller and clearer and clearer again until they vanished from_the sky . and after_that we noted to_the northward, and very high, Gresham's fighting machines hanging high over Naples like an evening swarm of gnats .

" it seemed to_have no more to_do with_us than a flight of birds .

" even the mutter of guns far away in_the south- east seemed to_us to signify nothing .. .

" each_day, each dream after_that, we were still exalted, still seeking that refuge where we_might live and love . fatigue had come upon us, pain and many distresses . for though we were dusty and stained by our toilsome tramping, and half starved, and with_the horror of_the dead men we had seen and_the flight of_the peasants-- for very_soon a gust of fighting swept up the peninsula-- with_these things haunting our minds it still resulted only in adeepening resolution to escape .Oh, but she was brave and patient ! she who had never faced hardship and exposure had courage for herself-- and me . we went to and fro seeking an outlet, over a country all commandeered and ransacked by_the gathering hosts of war . always we went on foot . at first there were other fugitives, but we_did_not mingle with_them . some escaped northward, some were caught in_the torrent of peasantry that swept along the main roads; many gave themselves into_the hands of_the soldiery and were sent northward . many_of_the men were impressed . but we kept away from_these things; we had brought no money to bribe a passage north, and I feared for_my lady at_the hands of_these conscript crowds . we had landed at Salerno, and we had_been turned back from Cava, and we had tried to cross towards Taranto by a pass over mount Alburno, but we had_been driven back for want of food, and so we had come down among_the marshes by Paestum, where those great temples stand alone .I had some vague idea that by Paestum it might_be possible to_find a boat or something, and take once more to sea . and there it was_the battle overtook us .

"A sort of soul- blindness had me . plainly I could_see that we were being hemmed in; that_the great net of_that giant warfare had us in its toils . many_times we had seen the levies that had come down from_the north going to and fro, and had come upon them in_the distance amidst the mountains making ways for_the ammunition and preparing the mounting of_the guns . once we fancied they had fired at us, taking us for spies-- at any rate a shot had gone shuddering over us . several_times we had hidden in woods from hovering aeroplanes .

" but all these things do_not matter now, these nights of flight and pain .. . we were in an open place near those great temples at Paestum, at last, on a blank stony place dotted with spiky bushes, empty and desolate and so flat that a grove of eucalyptus far away showed to_the feet of_its stems . how I_can_see it ! my lady was sitting down under a bush resting a little, for she was very weak and weary, and i_was standing up watching to_see if I_could tell the distance of_the firing that came and went . they were still, you_know, fighting far from each_other, with_these terrible new weapons that had never before been used: guns that_would carry beyond sight, and aeroplanes that_would do---- what they_would do no man could foretell .

" I_knew that we were between_the two armies, and that_they drew together . I_knew we were in danger, and_that we_could_not stop there and rest !

" though all those things were in my mind, they were in_the background . they seemed to_be affairs beyond our concern . chiefly, i_was thinking of_my lady . an aching distress filled me . for_the first time she had owned herself beaten and had fallen a-weeping . behind me I_could hear her sobbing, but i_would_not turn round to her because I_knew she had need of weeping, and had held herself so_far and so_long for_me . it_was well, i_thought, that she_would weep and rest, and then we_would toil on again, for I had no inkling of_the thing that hung so near . even now I_can_see her as she sat there, her lovely hair upon her shoulder, can mark again the deepening hollow of her cheek .

"' if_we had parted,' she said, ' if I had let you go--'

"' no,' said I .' even now I_do_not repent . i_will_not repent; I_made my choice, and_I_will hold on to_the end .'

" and then--

" overhead in_the sky flashed something and burst, and all about us I heard the bullets making a noise like a handful of peas suddenly thrown . they chipped the stones about us, and whirled fragments from_the bricks and passed .. ."

he put his hand to_his mouth, and then moistened his lips .

" at_the flash I had turned about .. .

" you_know-- she stood up--

" she stood up, you_know, and moved a step towards me--

" as_though she wanted to reach me--

" and she had_been shot through_the heart ."

he stopped and stared at me . I_felt all that foolish incapacity an Englishman feels on_such occasions .I met his eyes for a moment, and then stared out_of_the window . for a long space we kept silence . when at last I looked at him he_was sitting back in_his corner, his arms folded and_his teeth gnawing at his knuckles .

he bit his nail suddenly, and stared at it .

"I carried her," he_said, " towards the temples, in my arms-- as_though it mattered .I don't know why . they seemed a sort of sanctuary, you_know, they had lasted so_long, I suppose .

" she must_have died almost instantly . only-- i_talked to her-- all the way ."

silence again .

" I_have_seen those temples," I_said abruptly, and indeed he had brought those still, sunlit arcades of worn sandstone very vividly before me .

" it was_the brown one, the big brown one .I sat down on a fallen pillar and held her in my arms .. . silent after_the first babble was over . and after a little while the lizards came out and ran about again, as_though nothing unusual was going on, as_though nothing had changed .. . it_was tremendously still there, the sun high and_the shadows still; even the shadows of_the weeds upon_the entablature were still-- in_spite of_the thudding and banging that went all about_the sky .

"I seem to remember that_the aeroplanes came up out_of_the south, and_that the battle went away to_the west . one aeroplane was struck, and overset and fell .I remember that-- though it didn't interest me in_the least . it didn't seem to signify . it_was like a wounded gull, you_know--flapping for a time in_the water .I could_see it down the aisle of_the temple--a black thing in_the bright blue water .

" three or four times shells burst about_the beach, and then that ceased . each_time that happened all the lizards scuttled in and hid for a space . that was all the mischief done, except that once a stray bullet gashed the stone hard by-- made just a fresh bright surface .

" as_the shadows grew longer, the stillness seemed greater .

" the curious thing," he remarked, with_the manner of a man who makes a trivial conversation, " is_that I didn't think_--I didn't think at all .I sat with her in my arms amidst the stones-- in a sort of lethargy-- stagnant .

" and I don't remember waking up .I don't remember dressing that day . I_know I_found myself in my office, with my letters all slit open in front of me, and how i_was struck by_the absurdity of being there, seeing that in reality i_was sitting, stunned, in_that Paestum temple with a dead woman in my arms . I_read my letters like a machine . I_have forgotten what they were about ."

he stopped, and there_was a long silence .

suddenly I perceived that we were running down the incline from chalk farm to Euston .I started at_this passing of_time .I turned on him with a brutal question with_the tone of " now or never ."

" and did you dream again ? "

" yes ."

he_seemed to force himself to finish . his voice was very low .

" once more, and as it were only for a few instants .I seemed to_have suddenly awakened out of a great apathy, to_have risen into asitting position, and_the body lay there on_the stones beside me .agaunt body . not her, you_know . so soon-- it_was not her .. .

" I_may_have heard voices . I_do_not know . only I_knew clearly that men were coming into_the solitude and_that that was a last outrage .

"I stood up and walked through_the temple, and then there came into sight-- first one man with a yellow face, dressed in a uniform of dirty white, trimmed with blue, and then several, climbing to_the crest of_the old wall of_the vanished city, and crouching there . they were little bright figures in_the sunlight, and there they hung, weapon in hand, peering cautiously before them .

" and further away I_saw others, and then more at another point in_the wall . it_was a long lax line of men in open order .

" presently the man I had first seen stood up and shouted a command, and_his men came tumbling down the wall and into_the high weeds towards the temple . he scrambled down with_them and led them . he_came facing towards me, and when he_saw me he stopped .

" at first I had watched these men with amere curiosity, but when I had seen they meant to_come to_the temple i_was moved to forbid them .I shouted to_the officer .

"' you_must not come here,' I cried, '_I am here . I_am here with my dead .'

" he stared, and then shouted a question back to_me in some unknown tongue .

"I repeated what I had said .

" he shouted again, and I folded my arms and stood still . presently he spoke to_his men and came forward . he carried a drawn sword .

"I signed to him to_keep away, but he continued to advance . i_told him again very patiently and clearly: ' you_must not come here . these are old temples, and I_am here with my dead .'

" presently he_was so close I could_see his face clearly . it_was a narrow face, with dull grey eyes, and a black moustache . he had a scar on_his upper lip, and he_was dirty and unshaven . he kept shouting unintelligible things, questions perhaps, at me .

" I_know now that he_was afraid of me, but at_the_time that did_not occur to_me . as I tried to explain to him he interrupted me in imperious tones, bidding me, I suppose, stand aside .

" he_made to_go past me, and I caught hold of him .

" I_saw his face change at my grip .

"' you fool,' I cried .'Don't you_know ? she_is dead ! '

" he started back . he looked at me with cruel eyes .

" I_saw a sort of exultant resolve leap into them-- delight . then suddenly, with a scowl, he swept his sword back--_so_-- and thrust ."

he stopped abruptly .

I became aware of a change in_the rhythm of_the train . the brakes lifted their voices and_the carriage jarred and jerked . this present world insisted upon itself, became clamorous . I_saw through_the steamy window huge electric lights glaring down from tall masts upon a fog, saw rows of stationary empty carriages passing by, and then a signal- box, hoisting its constellation of green and red into_the murky London twilight, marched after them .I looked again at his drawn features .

" he ran me through_the heart . it_was with a sort of astonishment-- no fear, no pain-- but just amazement, that I_felt it pierce me, felt the sword drive home into my body . it didn't hurt, you_know . it didn't hurt at all ."

the yellow platform lights came into_the field of view, passing first rapidly, then slowly, and at last stopping with a jerk . dim shapes of men passed to and fro without .

"Euston ! " cried a voice .

" do_you_mean-- ? "

" there_was no pain, no sting or smart . amazement and then darkness sweeping over everything . the hot, brutal face before me, the face of_the man who had killed me, seemed to recede . it swept out of existence--"

"Euston ! " clamoured the voices outside; "Euston ! "

the carriage door opened, admitting a flood of sound, and a porter stood regarding us . the sounds of doors slamming, and_the hoof- clatter of cab-horses, and behind these things the featureless remote roar of_the London cobble-stones, came to my ears .a truck- load of lighted lamps blazed along the platform .

"A darkness, a flood of darkness that opened and spread and blotted out all things ."

" any luggage, sir ? " said the porter .

" and_that was_the end ? " I asked .

he_seemed to hesitate . then, almost inaudibly, he answered, "_No ."

" you mean ? "

"I couldn't get to her . she was there on_the other side of_the temple-- and then--"

" yes," I insisted ." yes ? "

"Nightmares," he cried; "nightmares indeed ! my god ! great birds that fought and tore ."

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