Chapter 9 of Creatures of the Abyss is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of Creatures of the Abyss is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I don't know," he said curtly. "But give me a fish spear." "You won't...." "I just want to have something in my hand," he told her impatiently, "while I look." He took the spear she handed him, and sank once more.
Chapter 9 of Creatures of the Abyss is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
in a curt, abrupt and discourteous manner
From this reading “"I don't know," he said curtly.”
any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills
From this reading “"But give me a fish spear."”
having or involving the use of hands
From this reading “He took the spear she handed him, and sank once more.”
with impatience; in an impatient manner
From this reading “"I just want to have something in my hand," he told her impatiently, "while I look."”
inflected form of “sink” — fall or descend to a lower place or level
From this reading “He took the spear she handed him, and sank once more.”
a long pointed rod used as a tool or weapon
From this reading “"But give me a fish spear."”
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading “"I just want to have something in my hand," he told her impatiently, "while I look."”
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading “"I just want to have something in my hand," he told her impatiently, "while I look."”
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.
anew
In this reading “He took the spear she handed him, and sank once more.”
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 "But give me a fish spear."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He took the spear she handed him, and sank once more.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But give me a fish spear."
in a curt, abrupt and discourteous manner
From this reading "I don't know," he said curtly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I don't know," he said curtly.
any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills
From this reading "But give me a fish spear."
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading "But give me a fish spear."
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading "I just want to have something in my hand," he told her impatiently, "while I look."
having or involving the use of hands
From this reading He took the spear she handed him, and sank once more.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "I just want to have something in my hand," he told her impatiently, "while I look."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "I don't know," he said curtly.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading "I just want to have something in my hand," he told her impatiently, "while I look."
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He took the spear she handed him, and sank once more.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I don't know," he said curtly.
with impatience; in an impatient manner
From this reading "I just want to have something in my hand," he told her impatiently, "while I look."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "I just want to have something in my hand," he told her impatiently, "while I look."
and nothing more
From this reading "I just want to have something in my hand," he told her impatiently, "while I look."
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "I don't know," he said curtly.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading "I just want to have something in my hand," he told her impatiently, "while I look."
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "But give me a fish spear."
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading He took the spear she handed him, and sank once more.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "I just want to have something in my hand," he told her impatiently, "while I look."
on one occasion
From this reading He took the spear she handed him, and sank once more.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I don't know," he said curtly.
inflected form of “sink” — fall or descend to a lower place or level
From this reading He took the spear she handed him, and sank once more.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He took the spear she handed him, and sank once more.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading "I just want to have something in my hand," he told her impatiently, "while I look."
a long pointed rod used as a tool or weapon
From this reading "But give me a fish spear."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He took the spear she handed him, and sank once more.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I just want to have something in my hand," he told her impatiently, "while I look."
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading "I just want to have something in my hand," he told her impatiently, "while I look."
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading He took the spear she handed him, and sank once more.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading "I just want to have something in my hand," he told her impatiently, "while I look."
during the time that
From this reading "I just want to have something in my hand," he told her impatiently, "while I look."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You won't...."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You won't...."
Chapter 9 of Creatures of the Abyss by Murray Leinster holds 411 sentences, grouped into 83 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 411 sentences of Creatures of the Abyss, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of Creatures of the Abyss by Murray Leinster exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 411 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 Creatures of the Abyss by Murray Leinster on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4563 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #42901 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #42901, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 380 minutes of reading across 913 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Creatures of the Abyss section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of Creatures of the Abyss 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 Creatures of the Abyss, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
