Chapter 9 of Captives of the Flame is here in full — 473 sentences across 95 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of Captives of the Flame is here in full — 473 sentences across 95 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
There was a roaring in the air. Let cried out and ran forward. Then shadow. Then water. His feet were slipping on the deck as the rail swung by.
Chapter 9 of Captives of the Flame is here in full — 473 sentences across 95 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/94 · 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.
any of various platforms built into a vessel
From this reading “His feet were slipping on the deck as the rail swung by.”
at or to or toward the front
From this reading “Let cried out and ran forward.”
a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports
From this reading “His feet were slipping on the deck as the rail swung by.”
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading “Let cried out and ran forward.”
a deep prolonged loud noise
From this reading “There was a roaring in the air.”
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading “Then shadow.”
moving as on a slippery surface
From this reading “His feet were slipping on the deck as the rail swung by.”
inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting
From this reading “His feet were slipping on the deck as the rail swung by.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “Let cried out and ran forward.”
utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
In this reading “Let cried out and ran forward.”
In this reading “His feet were slipping on the deck as the rail swung by.”
on everybody's mind
In this reading “There was a roaring in the air.”
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 There was a roaring in the air.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading There was a roaring in the air.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Let cried out and ran forward.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading His feet were slipping on the deck as the rail swung by.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading His feet were slipping on the deck as the rail swung by.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading Let cried out and ran forward.
any of various platforms built into a vessel
From this reading His feet were slipping on the deck as the rail swung by.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading His feet were slipping on the deck as the rail swung by.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading Let cried out and ran forward.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His feet were slipping on the deck as the rail swung by.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There was a roaring in the air.
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading Let cried out and ran forward.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading His feet were slipping on the deck as the rail swung by.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Let cried out and ran forward.
a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports
From this reading His feet were slipping on the deck as the rail swung by.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading Let cried out and ran forward.
a deep prolonged loud noise
From this reading There was a roaring in the air.
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading Then shadow.
moving as on a slippery surface
From this reading His feet were slipping on the deck as the rail swung by.
inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting
From this reading His feet were slipping on the deck as the rail swung by.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading There was a roaring in the air.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then shadow.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was a roaring in the air.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was a roaring in the air.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading Then water.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading His feet were slipping on the deck as the rail swung by.
Chapter 9 of Captives of the Flame by Samuel R. Delany holds 473 sentences, grouped into 95 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 9 holds 473 sentences of Captives of the Flame, unabridged, divided into 95 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of Captives of the Flame by Samuel R. Delany exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 473 sentences, grouped into 95 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 95 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 95 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 9 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 Captives of the Flame by Samuel R. Delany on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4380 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #41905 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #41905, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 365 minutes of reading across 876 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Captives of the Flame section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 13 chapters of Captives of the Flame 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 Captives of the Flame, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
