ians ▁' e ating ' — har vest ing ▁human ▁blood ▁and ▁inject ing ▁it ▁into ▁their ▁own ▁ve ins . ▁Nathan iel ▁resol ves ▁to ▁confront ▁the ▁' dem ons ', ▁bel ieving ▁that ▁he ▁has ▁been ▁chosen ▁to ▁destroy ▁them ▁with ▁his ▁pray ers ▁and ▁holy ▁cross . ▁The ▁Journal ist ▁knock s ▁him ▁un cons cious ▁to ▁silence ▁his ▁rav ings , ▁but ▁the ▁Mart ians ▁are ▁already ▁alert ed . ▁A ▁mechanical ▁cla w ▁expl ores ▁the ▁c ott age ▁and ▁drag s ▁Nathan iel ▁away . ▁Event ually ▁the ▁Mart ians ▁abandon ▁their ▁camp ▁and ▁the ▁Journal ist ▁continues ▁his ▁journey ▁to ▁London . ▁He ▁again ▁enc oun ters ▁the ▁Art illery man , ▁who ▁is ▁planning ▁a ▁sub ter rane an ▁u top ia ▁that ▁would ▁allow ▁humans ▁to ▁e va de ▁the ▁Mart ians ▁and ▁ultimately ▁strike ▁back ▁with ▁reverse - engine ered ▁fighting ▁machines . ▁The ▁Journal ist , ▁however , ▁real ising ▁the ▁Art illery man ' s ▁amb itions ▁far ▁exceed ▁his ▁ab ilities , ▁soon ▁leaves . ▁Upon ▁reaching ▁London ▁he ▁finds ▁it ▁des olate ▁and ▁empty . ▁D ri ven ▁to ▁suic ide ▁by ▁inten se ▁desp air ▁and ▁l onel iness , ▁he ▁surr enders ▁to ▁a ▁fighting ▁machine ▁but ▁real ises ▁it ▁is ▁in ert , ▁the ▁Mart ian ▁inside ▁dead . ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁ep ilog ue , ▁the ▁Journal ist ▁reports ▁that ▁the ▁Mart ians ▁were ▁defeated ▁by ▁Earth ' s ▁b acter ia — to ▁which