Chapter 2 of Brigands of the Moon is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Brigands of the Moon is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I'm all right, thank you very much--" I became conscious that I had not released her. I felt her hands pushing at me. And then it seemed that for an instant she yielded and was clinging. And I met her startled upflung gaze. Eyes like a purple night with the sheen of misty starlight in them.
Chapter 2 of Brigands of the Moon is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
-ing form of “cling” — come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation
From this reading “And then it seemed that for an instant she yielded and was clinging.”
filled or abounding with fog or mist
From this reading “Eyes like a purple night with the sheen of misty starlight in them.”
a purple color or pigment
From this reading “Eyes like a purple night with the sheen of misty starlight in them.”
the act of applying force in order to move something away
From this reading “I felt her hands pushing at me.”
past form of “release” — release, as from one's grip
From this reading “"I'm all right, thank you very much--" I became conscious that I had not released her.”
the visual property of something that shines with reflected light
From this reading “Eyes like a purple night with the sheen of misty starlight in them.”
the light of the stars
From this reading “Eyes like a purple night with the sheen of misty starlight in them.”
past form of “yield” — be the cause or source of
From this reading “And then it seemed that for an instant she yielded and was clinging.”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Eyes like a purple night with the sheen of misty starlight in them.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading "I'm all right, thank you very much--" I became conscious that I had not released her.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading And then it seemed that for an instant she yielded and was clinging.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And then it seemed that for an instant she yielded and was clinging.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading I felt her hands pushing at me.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading "I'm all right, thank you very much--" I became conscious that I had not released her.
-ing form of “cling” — come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation
From this reading And then it seemed that for an instant she yielded and was clinging.
intentionally conceived
From this reading "I'm all right, thank you very much--" I became conscious that I had not released her.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Eyes like a purple night with the sheen of misty starlight in them.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading I felt her hands pushing at me.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading And then it seemed that for an instant she yielded and was clinging.
a long fixed look
From this reading And I met her startled upflung gaze.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "I'm all right, thank you very much--" I became conscious that I had not released her.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading I felt her hands pushing at me.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading "I'm all right, thank you very much--" I became conscious that I had not released her.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I'm all right, thank you very much--" I became conscious that I had not released her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'm all right, thank you very much--" I became conscious that I had not released her.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Eyes like a purple night with the sheen of misty starlight in them.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading And then it seemed that for an instant she yielded and was clinging.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading And then it seemed that for an instant she yielded and was clinging.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Eyes like a purple night with the sheen of misty starlight in them.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I felt her hands pushing at me.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading And I met her startled upflung gaze.
filled or abounding with fog or mist
From this reading Eyes like a purple night with the sheen of misty starlight in them.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading "I'm all right, thank you very much--" I became conscious that I had not released her.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Eyes like a purple night with the sheen of misty starlight in them.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "I'm all right, thank you very much--" I became conscious that I had not released her.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Eyes like a purple night with the sheen of misty starlight in them.
a purple color or pigment
From this reading Eyes like a purple night with the sheen of misty starlight in them.
the act of applying force in order to move something away
From this reading I felt her hands pushing at me.
past form of “release” — release, as from one's grip
From this reading "I'm all right, thank you very much--" I became conscious that I had not released her.
precisely, exactly
From this reading "I'm all right, thank you very much--" I became conscious that I had not released her.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading And then it seemed that for an instant she yielded and was clinging.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And then it seemed that for an instant she yielded and was clinging.
the visual property of something that shines with reflected light
From this reading Eyes like a purple night with the sheen of misty starlight in them.
the light of the stars
From this reading Eyes like a purple night with the sheen of misty starlight in them.
excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
From this reading And I met her startled upflung gaze.
express gratitude or show appreciation to
From this reading "I'm all right, thank you very much--" I became conscious that I had not released her.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "I'm all right, thank you very much--" I became conscious that I had not released her.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Eyes like a purple night with the sheen of misty starlight in them.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Eyes like a purple night with the sheen of misty starlight in them.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading And then it seemed that for an instant she yielded and was clinging.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And I met her startled upflung gaze.
precisely as stated
From this reading "I'm all right, thank you very much--" I became conscious that I had not released her.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And then it seemed that for an instant she yielded and was clinging.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Eyes like a purple night with the sheen of misty starlight in them.
past form of “yield” — be the cause or source of
From this reading And then it seemed that for an instant she yielded and was clinging.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I'm all right, thank you very much--" I became conscious that I had not released her.
Chapter 2 of Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings holds 404 sentences, grouped into 81 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 2 holds 404 sentences of Brigands of the Moon, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 404 sentences, grouped into 81 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7750 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #19066 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #19066, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1550 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Brigands of the Moon section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 19 chapters of Brigands of the Moon to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Brigands of the Moon, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
