"Manly Wade Wellman - Sherlock Holmes's War of the Worlds" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wellman Manly Wade)

silence. Challenger turned it this way and that, finally bringing it into position for a line of vision
command-ing the row of masts.
"Here we see those points of light at the respective apexes," he said. "Now one of the Martians,
equipped with wings, is approaching to study, even as we do. But he is at another mast than the
one from which we see. Again I feel more or less assured that each of those masts is
furnished with a crystal similar to ours and so empowered as to provide a view of some far-away place."
"Perhaps also on earth?" Holmes wondered. "As this crystal we have can communicate with their
crystal on the farthest mast in the rank, might there be other crys-tals also projected across space, also
communicating?"
Lines of thought deepened on Challenger's massive brow. "It may well be so. The speculation begets
others. Among them, the question of how this crystal, and per-haps similar ones, made the journey to
earth."
He flung back the drapery and gazed at the gleam-ing crystal egg, turning it over and over.
"Its construction and operation seem to have no analogy with anything in our own civilization," he said
slowly. "The transmitted power may well be electrical, but that is merely a guess, not worth our
discussion at present. Now, if they sent it to earth in 1894, as you have suggested, they have been
watching us for seven years. How much can they have learned about us in that time?"
"A considerable amount, I would hazard," said Holmes. "Far more than we might deduce about them
in a comparable period."
"And what do they make of us?"
"That would be interesting to know," said Holmes. "But you and I agree that they may well be planning
an expedition here to earth. The concept of interplantary travel is not a new one. It has been a subject of
imagi-native tales for centuries. Now you and I face it as a reality; thus far, only you and I."
Challenger fondled the crystal, his beard jutting above it.
"Fate did well to put this problem into my hands," he said. "Aided a trifle by yourself."
"Perhaps it was not fate, but the Martians them-selves, who put this into our hands," said Holmes
soberly. "What if they guided it into our possession to see how our rational minds would react to
it? They might realize that men like you and me have un-usual mental ability, and so arranged that it
would come into our possession instead of that of a fool and a Philistine."
Challenger glanced sharply at Holmes. "You your-self are beginning to romanticize. Just why did you
buy it?"
"I decided, on the spur of the moment, that it might make a suitable Christmas present for my landlady.
However, she has not seen or heard of it as yet."
"Which is for the best," said Challenger, "You will, of course, make her a suitable gift of some other
sort."
"Of course," said Holmes.
5


Late in the afternoon of the last day of January, Holmes sat playing softly on his violin. A timid knock
sounded at the door. Holmes rose and opened it to a slight, black-haired young man who took off his hat
and fumbled with it timidly.
"Is Dr. Watson at home?" he asked.
"He's gone to a meeting of medical colleagues," said Holmes. "If you care to leave a message, I will be
glad to give it to him."
"Are you Mr. Sherlock Holmes, then? I came look-ing for Dr. WatsonтАФI have the honor of some
slight acquaintance with himтАФto ask him to introduce me to you. My name is Jacoby Wace; I am
assistant demon-strator at St. Catherine's Hospital in Westbourne Street." The young man shifted his feet
on the rug. "I scarcely know how to begin."
"Begin by sitting down and explaining."