Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Enchantress of Venus
Enchantress of Venus

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Enchantress of Venus is here in full — 497 sentences across 100 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Enchantress of Venus
Context Illustration Reading 1/99 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"I promise."
She studied his face, what she could see of it in the darkness, and then seemed to lose some of her fear.
"I was to stop you.
I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.
So you would believe me, and follow me, and I would lead you into the ambush."
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Enchantress of Venus

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Enchantress of Venus is here in full — 497 sentences across 100 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/99 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"I promise."
/aɪ ˈprɑːməs/
Line 2
She studied his face, what she could see of it in the darkness, and then seemed to lose some of her fear.
/ʃiː ˈstʌdid hɪz feɪs wʌt ʃiː kʊd siː ʌv ɪt ɪn ðə ˈdɑːrknəs ənd ðen siːmd tuː luːz sʌm ʌv hɜːr fɪr/
Line 3
"I was to stop you.
/aɪ wɑːz tuː stɑːp juː/
Line 4
I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.
Line 5
So you would believe me, and follow me, and I would lead you into the ambush."
/soʊ juː wʊd bɪˈliːv miː ənd ˈfɑːloʊ miː ənd aɪ wʊd led juː ˈɪntuː ðə ˈæmbʊʃ/

Learner Dictionary

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.

ambush verb US /ˈæmbʊʃ/

wait in hiding to attack

From this reading “I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.”

anyhow adverb US /ˈenihaʊ/

used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement

From this reading “I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.”

hated adjective US /ˈheɪtəd/

treated with dislike or contempt

From this reading “I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.”

lead verb US /led/

take somebody somewhere

From this reading “I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.”

lose verb US /luːz/

fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense

From this reading “She studied his face, what she could see of it in the darkness, and then seemed to lose some of her fear.”

Ones noun US /wʌnz/

plural of “one” — the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number

From this reading “I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.”

pretending noun US /priˈtendɪŋ/

the act of giving a false appearance

From this reading “I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.”

studied adjective US /ˈstʌdid/

produced or marked by conscious design or premeditation

From this reading “She studied his face, what she could see of it in the darkness, and then seemed to lose some of her fear.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

whole business adjective + noun

In this reading “I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.”

in the darkness preposition + article + noun counted as “in … darkness”

In this reading “She studied his face, what she could see of it in the darkness, and then seemed to lose some of her fear.”

rest of verb + particle

In this reading “I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.”

All words in this reading · 61

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.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.

alreadyadverbUS /ɔːlˈredi/

prior to a specified or implied time

From this reading I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.

ambushverbUS /ˈæmbʊʃ/

wait in hiding to attack

From this reading I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading She studied his face, what she could see of it in the darkness, and then seemed to lose some of her fear.

anyhowadverbUS /ˈenihaʊ/

used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement

From this reading I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.

believeverbUS /bɪˈliːv/

accept as true; take to be true

From this reading So you would believe me, and follow me, and I would lead you into the ambush."

businessnounUS /ˈbɪznəs/

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

From this reading I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading She studied his face, what she could see of it in the darkness, and then seemed to lose some of her fear.

couldn't

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.

darknessnounUS /ˈdɑːrknəs/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading She studied his face, what she could see of it in the darkness, and then seemed to lose some of her fear.

daughternounUS /ˈdɔːtər/

a female human offspring

From this reading I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.

escapenounUS /ɪˈskeɪp/

the act of escaping physically

From this reading I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading She studied his face, what she could see of it in the darkness, and then seemed to lose some of her fear.

fearverbUS /fɪr/

be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

From this reading She studied his face, what she could see of it in the darkness, and then seemed to lose some of her fear.

followverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊ/

to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading So you would believe me, and follow me, and I would lead you into the ambush."

hatedadjectiveUS /ˈheɪtəd/

treated with dislike or contempt

From this reading I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.

helpverbUS /help/

give help or assistance; be of service

From this reading I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading She studied his face, what she could see of it in the darkness, and then seemed to lose some of her fear.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading She studied his face, what she could see of it in the darkness, and then seemed to lose some of her fear.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "I promise."

I've

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading She studied his face, what she could see of it in the darkness, and then seemed to lose some of her fear.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading She studied his face, what she could see of it in the darkness, and then seemed to lose some of her fear.

leadverbUS /led/

take somebody somewhere

From this reading I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.

loseverbUS /luːz/

fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense

From this reading She studied his face, what she could see of it in the darkness, and then seemed to lose some of her fear.

LostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.

Malthor

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.

Malthor's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading She studied his face, what she could see of it in the darkness, and then seemed to lose some of her fear.

OnesnounUS /wʌnz/

plural of “one” — the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number

From this reading I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.

pretendingnounUS /priˈtendɪŋ/

the act of giving a false appearance

From this reading I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.

promiseverbUS /ˈprɑːməs/

make a promise or commitment

From this reading "I promise."

restverbUS /rest/

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading She studied his face, what she could see of it in the darkness, and then seemed to lose some of her fear.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading She studied his face, what she could see of it in the darkness, and then seemed to lose some of her fear.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She studied his face, what she could see of it in the darkness, and then seemed to lose some of her fear.

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading So you would believe me, and follow me, and I would lead you into the ambush."

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading She studied his face, what she could see of it in the darkness, and then seemed to lose some of her fear.

stopverbUS /stɑːp/

come to a halt, stop moving

From this reading "I was to stop you.

studiedadjectiveUS /ˈstʌdid/

produced or marked by conscious design or premeditation

From this reading She studied his face, what she could see of it in the darkness, and then seemed to lose some of her fear.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading She studied his face, what she could see of it in the darkness, and then seemed to lose some of her fear.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading She studied his face, what she could see of it in the darkness, and then seemed to lose some of her fear.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading She studied his face, what she could see of it in the darkness, and then seemed to lose some of her fear.

wantedadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːntɪd/

desired or wished for or sought

From this reading I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading "I was to stop you.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading She studied his face, what she could see of it in the darkness, and then seemed to lose some of her fear.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading I was to say what I've already said, about being Malthor's daughter and the rest of it, and then I was to say that he wanted me to lead you into an ambush while pretending to help you escape, but that I couldn't do it, and would help you to escape anyhow because I hated Malthor and the whole business about the Lost Ones.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "I was to stop you.

Chapter 2 of Enchantress of Venus by Leigh Brackett holds 497 sentences, grouped into 100 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.

What does chapter 2 of Enchantress of Venus contain?

Chapter 2 holds 497 sentences of Enchantress of Venus, unabridged, divided into 100 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Enchantress of Venus by Leigh Brackett exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 497 sentences, grouped into 100 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.

How do I study chapter 2 of Enchantress of Venus?

Work through the 100 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 100 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.

Can chapter 2 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Enchantress of Venus

Common questions about reading Enchantress of Venus by Leigh Brackett on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Enchantress of Venus?

Yes. All 1997 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #64043 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Enchantress of Venus is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #64043, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Enchantress of Venus take to read?

About 166 minutes of reading across 400 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Enchantress of Venus section by section

How to work through Enchantress of Venus section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 4 chapters of Enchantress of Venus to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Enchantress of Venus

Words and structures a reader meets early in Enchantress of Venus, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Laughing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Enchantress of Venus; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Hideous
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Enchantress of Venus; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Depths
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Enchantress of Venus; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Beneath
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Enchantress of Venus; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.