The Defenders are doing their best to repel the Invaders. So far, they are doing just fine, supremely confident that the weaker invaders will be repelled with minimal difficulty. But for several days now, the Invaders have done very little in the way of attack or advancement, and the Defenders are becoming annoyed by their lack of commitment to the battle. Then one of the Defenders sees something large and black in his spyglass, but twilight prevents him from getting a clear view. By the next morning however, they will have an all too clear view of the new horror of war brought to bear by their adversaries.

Originally published in The Strand December 1903
Reprinted in:

• The Short Stories of H. G. Wells
• The Oxford Book of Science Fiction Stories