__
# Page from H. G. Well's "War of the Worlds"
# From the Gutemberg Project archives.
# (The first paragraph has two intentional typos.)
# Last edited on 1998-07-09 18:24:52 by stolfi

   No_ one_ would_ have_ believed_ in_ the_ last_ years_ of_ the_
nineteenth_ century_ that_ this_ world_ was_ being_ watched_ keenly_
and_ closely_ by_ intelligences_ greater_ than_ man's_ and_ yet_ as_
mortal_ as_ his_ own_; that_ as_ men_ busied_ themselves_ about_ their_
various_ concerns_ they_ were_ scrutinised_ and_ studied_, perhaps_
almost_ as_ narrowly_ as_ a_ mun_ with_ a_ microscope_ might_ scrutinise_
the_ transient_ creatures_ that_ swarm_ and_ multiply_ in_ a_
drop_ of_ water_.  With_ infinite_ complacency_ men_ went_ to_ and_
fro_ over_ this_ globe_ about_ their_ little_ affairs_, serene_ in_ their_
assurance_ of_ their_ empire_ over_ matter_.  It_ is_ possible_ that_ the_
infusoria_ under_ the_ microscope_ do_ the_ same_.  No_ one_ gave_
a_ thought_ to_ the_ older_ worlds_ of_ space_ as_ sources_ of_ human_
danger_, or_ thought_ of_ them_ only_ to_ dismiss_ the_ idea_ of_ life_
upon_ them_ as_ impossible_ or_ improbable_.  It_ is_ curious_ to_ recall_
some_ of_ the_ mental_ habyts_ of_ those_ departed_ days_.  At_ most_
terrestrial_ men_ fancied_ there_ might_ be_ other_ men_ upon_ Mars_,
perhaps_ inferior_ to_ themselves_ and_ ready_ to_ welcome_ a_ missionary_
enterprise_.  Yet_ across_ the_ gulf_ of_ space_, minds_ that_
are_ to_ our_ minds_ as_ ours_ are_ to_ those_ of_ the_ beasts_ that_ perish_,
intellects_ vast_ and_ cool_ and_ unsympathetic_, regarded_ this_
earth_ with_ envious_ eyes_, and_ slowly_ and_ surely_ drew_ their_
plans_ against_ us_.  And_ early_ in_ the_ twentieth_ century_ came_
the_ great_ disillusionment__.

   The_ planet_ Mars_, I_ scarcely_ need_ remind_ the_ reader_, revolves_
about_ the_ sun_ at_ a_ mean_ distance_ of_ 140,000,000 miles_,
and_ the_ light_ and_ heat_ it_ receives_ from_ the_ sun_ is_ barely_ half_
of_ that_ received_ by_ this_ world_.  It_ must_ be_, if_ the_ nebular_
hypothesis_ has_ any_ truth_, older_ than_ our_ world_; and_ long_
before_ this_ earth_ ceased_ to_ be_ molten_, life_ upon_ its_ surface_
must_ have_ begun_ its_ course_.  The_ fact_ that_ it_ is_ scarcely_
one_ seventh_ of_ the_ volume_ of_ the_ earth_ must_ have_ accelerated_
its_ cooling_ to_ the_ temperature_ at_ which_ life_ could_ begin_.  It_
has_ air_ and_ water_ and_ all_ that_ is_ necessary_ for_ the_ support_ of_
animated_ existence__.

   Yet_ so_ vain_ is_ man_, and_ so_ blinded_ by_ his_ vanity_, that_ no_
writer_, up_ to_ the_ very_ end_ of_ the_ nineteenth_ century_, expressed_
any_ idea_ that_ intelligent_ life_ might_ have_ developed_
there_ far_, or_ indeed_ at_ all_, beyond_ its_ earthly_ level_.  Nor_ was_
it_ generally_ understood_ that_ since_ Mars_ is_ older_ than_ our_ earth_,
with_ scarcely_ a_ quarter_ of_ the_ superficial_ area_ and_ remoter_
from_ the_ sun_, it_ necessarily_ follows_ that_ it_ is_ not_ only_ more_
distant_ from_ time's_ beginning_ but_ nearer_ its_ end__.

   The_ secular_ cooling_ that_ must_ someday_ overtake_ our_ planet_
has_ already_ gone_ far_ indeed_ with_ our_ neighbour_.  Its_ physical_
condition_ is_ still_ largely_ a_ mystery_, but_ we_ know_ now_ that_
even_ in_ its_ equatorial_ region_ the_ midday_ temperature_ barely_
approaches_ that_ of_ our_ coldest_ winter_.  Its_ air_ is_ much_ more_
attenuated_ than_ ours_, its_ oceans_ have_ shrunk_ until_ they_ cover_
but_ a_ third_ of_ its_ surface_, and_ as_ its_ slow_ seasons_ change_ huge_
snowcaps_ gather_ and_ melt_ about_ either_ pole_ and_ periodically_
inundate_ its_ temperate_ zones_.  That_ last_ stage_ of_ exhaustion_,
which_ to_ us_ is_ still_ incredibly_ remote_, has_ become_ a_ presentday_
problem_ for_ the_ inhabitants_ of_ Mars_.  The_ immediate_
pressure_ of_ necessity_ has_ brightened_ their_ intellects_, enlarged_
their_ powers_, and_ hardened_ their_ hearts_.  And_ looking_ across_
space_ with_ instruments_, and_ intelligences_ such_ as_ we_ have_
scarcely_ dreamed_ of_, they_ see_, at_ its_ nearest_ distance_ only_
35,000,000 of_ miles_ sunward_ of_ them_, a_ morning_ star_ of_ hope_,
our_ own_ warmer_ planet_, green_ with_ vegetation_ and_ grey_ with_
water_, with_ a_ cloudy_ atmosphere_ eloquent_ of_ fertility_, with_
glimpses_ through_ its_ drifting_ cloud_ wisps_ of_ broad_ stretches_
of_ populous_ country_ and_ narrow_, navy-crowded_ seas__.


# Color key:
#
#    8.500   or more bits
#    7.500 to  8.499 bits
#    6.500 to  7.499 bits
#    5.500 to  6.499 bits
#    4.500 to  5.499 bits
#    3.500 to  4.499 bits
#    2.500 to  3.499 bits
#    1.500 to  2.499 bits
#    0.500 to  1.499 bits
#    0.000 to  0.499 bits

# full text: 56302 characters (including fillers)
# context: left = 1 right = 1  (order = 3)
# alphabet size: actual = 29
# mean conditional entropy h_3:  2.304 bits/character