Chapter 11 of Captives of the Flame is here in full — 301 sentences across 61 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XI
Chapter 11 of Captives of the Flame is here in full — 301 sentences across 61 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
During the next couple of hours, two people died, miles apart. * * * * * "Don't be silly," Rara was saying in the inn at the Devil's Pot. "I'm a perfectly good nurse. Do you want to see my license?" The white-haired old man sat very straight in his chair by the window.
Chapter 11 of Captives of the Flame is here in full — 301 sentences across 61 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/60 · 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.
separated or at a distance in place or position or time
From this reading “During the next couple of hours, two people died, miles apart.”
a pair who associate with one another
From this reading “During the next couple of hours, two people died, miles apart.”
possessive form of “devil” — (Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
From this reading “* * * * * "Don't be silly," Rara was saying in the inn at the Devil's Pot.”
a hotel providing overnight lodging for travelers
From this reading “* * * * * "Don't be silly," Rara was saying in the inn at the Devil's Pot.”
a legal document giving official permission to do something
From this reading “Do you want to see my license?"”
try to cure by special care of treatment, of an illness or injury
From this reading “"I'm a perfectly good nurse.”
metal or earthenware cooking vessel that is usually round and deep; often has a handle and lid
From this reading “* * * * * "Don't be silly," Rara was saying in the inn at the Devil's Pot.”
ludicrous, foolish
From this reading “* * * * * "Don't be silly," Rara was saying in the inn at the Devil's Pot.”
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.
a man who is very old
In this reading “The white-haired old man sat very straight in his chair by the window.”
In this reading “The white-haired old man sat very straight in his chair by the window.”
In this reading “During the next couple of hours, two people died, miles apart.”
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 "I'm a perfectly good nurse.
separated or at a distance in place or position or time
From this reading During the next couple of hours, two people died, miles apart.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading * * * * * "Don't be silly," Rara was saying in the inn at the Devil's Pot.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading * * * * * "Don't be silly," Rara was saying in the inn at the Devil's Pot.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The white-haired old man sat very straight in his chair by the window.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading The white-haired old man sat very straight in his chair by the window.
a pair who associate with one another
From this reading During the next couple of hours, two people died, miles apart.
possessive form of “devil” — (Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
From this reading * * * * * "Don't be silly," Rara was saying in the inn at the Devil's Pot.
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading During the next couple of hours, two people died, miles apart.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Do you want to see my license?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading * * * * * "Don't be silly," Rara was saying in the inn at the Devil's Pot.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading During the next couple of hours, two people died, miles apart.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading "I'm a perfectly good nurse.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The white-haired old man sat very straight in his chair by the window.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading During the next couple of hours, two people died, miles apart.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'm a perfectly good nurse.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading * * * * * "Don't be silly," Rara was saying in the inn at the Devil's Pot.
a hotel providing overnight lodging for travelers
From this reading * * * * * "Don't be silly," Rara was saying in the inn at the Devil's Pot.
a legal document giving official permission to do something
From this reading Do you want to see my license?"
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The white-haired old man sat very straight in his chair by the window.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading During the next couple of hours, two people died, miles apart.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Do you want to see my license?"
immediately following in time or order
From this reading During the next couple of hours, two people died, miles apart.
try to cure by special care of treatment, of an illness or injury
From this reading "I'm a perfectly good nurse.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading During the next couple of hours, two people died, miles apart.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The white-haired old man sat very straight in his chair by the window.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading During the next couple of hours, two people died, miles apart.
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading "I'm a perfectly good nurse.
metal or earthenware cooking vessel that is usually round and deep; often has a handle and lid
From this reading * * * * * "Don't be silly," Rara was saying in the inn at the Devil's Pot.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading * * * * * "Don't be silly," Rara was saying in the inn at the Devil's Pot.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading The white-haired old man sat very straight in his chair by the window.
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading * * * * * "Don't be silly," Rara was saying in the inn at the Devil's Pot.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Do you want to see my license?"
ludicrous, foolish
From this reading * * * * * "Don't be silly," Rara was saying in the inn at the Devil's Pot.
successive (without a break)
From this reading The white-haired old man sat very straight in his chair by the window.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading During the next couple of hours, two people died, miles apart.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Do you want to see my license?"
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading During the next couple of hours, two people died, miles apart.
precisely as stated
From this reading The white-haired old man sat very straight in his chair by the window.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading Do you want to see my license?"
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading * * * * * "Don't be silly," Rara was saying in the inn at the Devil's Pot.
showing characteristics of age, especially having grey or white hair
From this reading The white-haired old man sat very straight in his chair by the window.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading The white-haired old man sat very straight in his chair by the window.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Do you want to see my license?"
Chapter 11 of Captives of the Flame by Samuel R. Delany holds 301 sentences, grouped into 61 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 11 holds 301 sentences of Captives of the Flame, unabridged, divided into 61 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 11 of Captives of the Flame by Samuel R. Delany exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 301 sentences, grouped into 61 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 61 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 61 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 11 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.
