The narrator asks how much the Martians understood them. What do you think they understand and why do you think so?

The narrator begins to puzzle about what the Martians could want. As he thinks about this, he notices the Martians launch rockets that disperse some kind of noxious fumes. This is the Black Smoke, another Martian weapon of war, which kills anyone who breathes it in. The narrator and the curate take refuge in an abandoned house to wait out this new threat. I don't think this is a narrative where a misunderstanding between Martians and humans take place. I think the Martians just want to annihilate humanity.