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"Well, it's like this," he said. "What have we to do? We
have to invent a sort of life where men can live and breed,
and be sufficiently secure to bring the children up. Yes--wait
a bit, and I'll make it clearer what I think ought to be done.
The tame ones will go like all tame beasts; in a few generations
they'll be big, beautiful, rich-blooded, stupid--rubbish!
The risk is that we who keep wild will go savage--degenerate
into a sort of big, savage rat. . . . You see, how I
mean to live is underground. I've been thinking about the
drains. Of course those who don't know drains think horrible
things; but under this London are miles and miles--hundreds
of miles--and a few days" rain and London empty will leave
them sweet and clean. The main drains are big enough and
airy enough for anyone. Then there's cellars, vaults, stores,
from which bolting passages may be made to the drains.
And the railway tunnels and subways. Eh? You begin to see?
And we form a band--able-bodied, clean-minded men. We're
not going to pick up any rubbish that drifts in. Weaklings
go out again."
"As you meant me to go?"
"Well--l parleyed, didn't I?"
"We won't quarrel about that. Go on."
"Those who stop obey orders. Able-bodied, clean-minded
women we want also--mothers and teachers. No lackadaisical
ladies--no blasted rolling eyes. We can't have any weak or
silly. Life is real again, and the useless and cumbersome and
mischievous have to die. They ought to die. They ought to
be willing to die. It's a sort of disloyalty, after all, to live
and taint the race. And they can't be happy. Moreover, dying's
none so dreadful; it's the funking makes it bad. And in all
those places we shall gather. Our district will be London.
And we may even be able to keep a watch, and run about
in the open when the Martians keep away. Play cricket, perhaps.
That's how we shall save the race. Eh? It's a possible
thing? But saving the race is nothing in itself. As I say,
that's only being rats. It's saving our knowledge and adding
to it is the thing. There men like you come in. There's books,
there's models. We must make great safe places down deep,
and get all the books we can; not novels and poetry swipes,
but ideas, science books. That's where men like you come
in. We must go to the British Museum and pick all those
books through. Especially we must keep up our science--
learn more. We must watch these Martians. Some of us
must go as spies. When it's all working, perhaps I will. Get
caught, I mean. And the great thing is, we must leave the
Martians alone. We mustn't even steal. If we get in their
way, we clear out. We must show them we mean no harm.
Yes, I know. But they're intelligent things, and they won't
hunt us down if they have all they want, and think we're
just harmless vermin."
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