The Star by H.G. Wells
Section [1 | 2]
the star

by H .G .Wells

it_was on_the first day of_the new year that_the announcement was_made, almost simultaneously from three observatories, that_the motion of_the planet Neptune, the outermost of all the planets that wheel about_the sun, had become very erratic .Ogilvy had already called attention to a suspected retardation in its velocity in December . such a piece of news was scarcely calculated to interest a world the greater portion of whose inhabitants were unaware of_the existence of_the planet Neptune, nor outside the astronomical profession did the subsequent discovery of a faint remote speck of light in_the region of_the perturbed planet cause any very great excitement . scientific people, however, found the intelligence remarkable enough, even before it became known that_the new body was rapidly growing larger and brighter, that its motion was quite different from_the orderly progress of_the planets, and_that the deflection of Neptune and its satellite was becoming now of an unprecedented kind .

few people without atraining in science can realise the huge isolation of_the solar system . the sun with its specks of planets, its dust of planetoids, and its impalpable comets, swims in a vacant immensity that almost defeats the imagination . beyond the orbit of Neptune there_is space, vacant so_far as human observation has penetrated, without warmth or light or sound, blank emptiness, for twenty million times a million miles . that_is_the smallest estimate of_the distance to_be traversed before_the very nearest of_the stars is attained . and, saving a few comets more unsubstantial than_the thinnest flame, no matter had ever to human knowledge crossed this gulf of space until early in_the twentieth century this strange wanderer appeared .a vast mass of matter it_was, bulky, heavy, rushing without warning out_of_the black mystery of_the sky into_the radiance of_the sun . by_the second day it_was clearly visible to any decent instrument, as a speck with a barely sensible diameter, in_the constellation Leo near Regulus . in a little while an opera glass could attain it .

on_the third day of_the new year the newspaper readers of two hemispheres were made aware for_the first time of_the real importance of_this unusual apparition in_the heavens ."A planetary collision," one London paper headed the news, and proclaimed Duchaine's opinion that_this strange new planet would probably collide with Neptune . the leader-writers enlarged upon_the topic . so_that in most of_the capitals of_the world, on January 3rd, there_was an expectation, however vague, of some imminent phenomenon in_the sky; and as_the night followed the sunset round the globe, thousands of men turned their eyes skyward to_see-- the old familiar stars just as_they had always been .

until it_was dawn in London and Pollux setting and_the stars overhead grown pale . the winter's dawn it_was, a sickly filtering accumulation of daylight, and_the light of gas and candles shone yellow in_the windows to show where people were astir . but the yawning policeman saw the thing, the busy crowds in_the markets stopped agape, workmen going to_their work betimes, milkmen, the drivers of news-carts, dissipation going home jaded and pale, homeless wanderers, sentinels on their beats, and, in_the country, labourers trudging afield, poachers slinking home, all over the dusky quickening country it could_be seen-- and out at sea by seamen watching for_the day--a great white star, come suddenly into_the westward sky !

brighter it_was than any star in_our skies; brighter than_the evening star at its brightest . it still glowed out white and large, no mere twinkling spot of light, but a small, round, clear shining disc, an hour after_the day had come . and where science has_not reached, men stared and feared, telling one another of_the wars and pestilences that_are foreshadowed by_these fiery signs in_the Heavens . sturdy Boers, dusky Hottentots, gold coast negroes, Frenchmen, Spaniards, Portuguese, stood in_the warmth of_the sunrise watching the setting of_this strange new star .

and in a hundred observatories there had_been suppressed excitement, rising almost to shouting pitch, as_the two remote bodies had rushed together, and ahurrying to and fro, to gather photographic apparatus and spectroscope, and this appliance and_that, to record this novel, astonishing sight, the destruction of a world . for it_was a world, a sister planet of_our earth, far greater than our earth indeed, that had so suddenly flashed into flaming death . Neptune it_was had_been struck, fairly and squarely, by_the strange planet from outer space, and_the heat of_the concussion had incontinently turned two solid globes into one vast mass of incandescence . round the world that day, two hours before_the dawn, went the pallid great white star, fading only as it sank westward and_the sun mounted above it . everywhere men marvelled at it, but of all those who saw it none could_have marvelled more than those sailors, habitual watchers of_the stars, who far away at sea had heard nothing of_its advent and saw it now rise like apigmy moon and climb zenithward and hang overhead and sink westward with_the passing of_the night .

and when next it rose over Europe everywhere were crowds of watchers on hilly slopes, on house-roofs, in open spaces, staring eastward for_the rising of_the great new star . it rose with a white glow in front of it, like the glare of a white fire, and those who had seen it come into existence the night before cried out at_the sight of it ." it_is larger," they cried ." it_is brighter ! " and indeed the moon, a quarter full and sinking in_the west, was in its apparent size beyond comparison, but scarcely in all its breadth had it as_much brightness now as_the little circle of_the strange new star .

" it_is brighter ! " cried the people clustering in_the streets . but in_the dim observatories the watchers held their breath and peered at one another ."_It is nearer ! " they said ."_Nearer ! "

and voice after voice repeated, " it_is nearer," and_the clicking telegraph took that up, and it trembled along telephone wires, and in a thousand cities grimy compositors fingered the type ." it_is nearer ." men writing in offices, struck with a strange realisation, flung down their pens, men talking in a thousand places suddenly came upon a grotesque possibility in those words, " it_is nearer ." it hurried along awakening streets, it_was shouted down the frost- stilled ways of quiet villages, men who had read these things from_the throbbing tape stood in yellow-lit doorways shouting the news to_the passers- by ." it_is nearer," pretty women, flushed and glittering, heard the news told jestingly between_the dances, and feigned an intelligent interest they_did_not feel ." nearer ! indeed . how curious ! how very, very clever people must_be to_find out things like that ! "

lonely tramps faring through_the wintry night murmured those words to comfort themselves-- looking skyward ." it has need to_be nearer, for_the night's as cold as charity .Don't seem much warmth from_it if_it is_ nearer, all the same ."

" what_is a new star to_me ? " cried the weeping woman, kneeling beside her dead .

the schoolboy, rising early for_his examination work, puzzled it out for himself-- with_the great white star shining broad and bright through_the frost-flowers of_his window ." centrifugal, centripetal," he_said, with_his chin on_his fist ." stop a planet in its flight, rob it of_its centrifugal force, what then ? centripetal has it, and down it falls into_the sun ! and this-- !

" do we come in_the way ? I wonder--"

the light of_that day went the way of_its brethren, and with_the later watches of_the frosty darkness rose the strange star again . and it_was now so bright that_the waxing moon seemed but a pale yellow ghost of itself, hanging huge in_the sunset . in a south African city a great man had married, and_the streets were alight to welcome his return with_his bride ." even the skies have illuminated," said the flatterer . under Capricorn, two Negro lovers, daring the wild beasts and evil spirits for love of one another, crouched together in a cane brake where the fire-flies hovered ." that_is our star," they whispered, and felt strangely comforted by_the sweet brilliance of_its light .

the master mathematician sat in_his private room and pushed the papers from_him . his calculations were already finished . in a small white phial there still remained a little of_the drug that had kept him awake and active for four long nights . each_day, serene, explicit, patient as ever, he had given his lecture to_his students, and then had come back at once to_this momentous calculation . his face was grave, a little drawn and hectic from_his drugged activity . for some_time he_seemed lost in thought . then he went to_the window, and_the blind went up with a click . half- way up the sky, over the clustering roofs, chimneys, and steeples of_the city, hung the star .

he looked at it as one might look into_the eyes of a brave enemy ." you_may kill me," he_said after a silence ." but I_can hold you-- and all the universe for_that matter-- in_the grip of_this small brain . i_would_not change . even now ."

he looked at_the little phial ." there_will_be no need of sleep again," he_said . the next_day at noon, punctual to_the minute, he entered his lecture theatre, put his hat on_the end of_the table as his habit was, and carefully selected a large piece of chalk . it_was a joke among his students that he_could_not lecture without that piece of chalk to fumble in_his fingers, and once he had_been stricken to impotence by their hiding his supply . he_came and looked under his grey eyebrows at_the rising tiers of young fresh faces, and spoke with_his accustomed studied commonness of phrasing .

" circumstances have arisen-- circumstances beyond my control," he_said, and paused, " which will debar me from completing the course I had designed . it would seem, gentlemen, if I_may put the thing clearly and briefly, that-- man has lived in vain ."

the students glanced at one another . had they heard aright ? mad ? raised eyebrows and grinning lips there were, but one_or_two faces remained intent upon his calm grey- fringed face ." it_will_be interesting," he_was saying, " to devote this_morning to an exposition, so_far as I_can make it clear to_you, of_the calculations that_have led me to_this conclusion . let_us assume----"

he turned towards the blackboard, meditating a diagram in_the way that was usual to him ." what_was that about ' lived in vain' ? " whispered one student to another ." listen," said the other, nodding towards the lecturer .

and presently they began to understand .

* * * * *

that night the star rose later, for its proper eastward motion had carried it some way across Leo towards Virgo, and its brightness was so great that_the sky became a luminous blue as it rose, and every star was hidden in its turn, save only Jupiter near the zenith, Capella, Aldebaran, Sirius, and_the pointers of_the bear . it_was very white and beautiful . in many parts of_the world that night a pallid halo encircled it about . it_was perceptibly larger; in_the clear refractive sky of_the tropics it seemed as_if it were nearly a quarter the size of_the moon . the frost was still on_the ground in England, but the world was as brightly lit as_if it were midsummer moonlight . one could_see to read quite ordinary print by_that cold, clear light, and in_the cities the lamps burnt yellow and wan .

and everywhere the world was awake that night, and throughout Christendom asombre murmur hung in_the keen air over the country- side like the belling of bees in_the heather, and this murmurous tumult grew to aclangour in_the cities . it was_the tolling of_the bells in a million belfry towers and steeples, summoning the people to sleep no more, to sin no more, but to gather in their churches and pray . and overhead, growing larger and brighter, as_the earth rolled on its way and_the night passed, rose the dazzling star .

and_the streets and houses were alight in all the cities, the shipyards glared, and whatever roads led to high country were lit and crowded all night long . and in all the seas about_the civilized lands, ships with throbbing engines, and ships with bellying sails, crowded with men and living creatures, were standing out to ocean and_the north . for already the warning of_the master mathematician had_been telegraphed all over the world and translated into a hundred tongues . the new planet and Neptune, locked in a fiery embrace, were whirling headlong, ever faster and faster towards the sun . already every second this blazing mass flew a hundred miles, and every second its terrific velocity increased . as it flew now, indeed, it must pass a hundred million of miles, wide of_the earth and scarcely affect it . but near its destined path, as_yet only slightly perturbed, spun the mighty planet Jupiter and_his moons sweeping splendid round the sun . every moment now the attraction between_the fiery star and_the greatest of_the planets grew stronger . and_the result of_that attraction ? inevitably Jupiter would_be deflected from its orbit into an elliptical path, and_the burning star, swung by his attraction wide of_its sunward rush, would " describe a curved path," and perhaps collide with, and certainly pass very close to, our earth ."Earthquakes, volcanic outbreaks, cyclones, sea waves, floods, and a steady rise in temperature to I_know not what limit"-- so prophesied the master mathematician .

and overhead, to carry out his words, lonely and cold and livid blazed the star of_the coming doom .

to many who stared at it that night until their eyes ached it seemed that_it_was visibly approaching . and_that night, too, the weather changed, and_the frost that had gripped all central Europe and France and England softened towards a thaw .

but you_must

Section [1 | 2]