Chapter 8 of Forever We Die! is here in full — 454 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Forever We Die! is here in full — 454 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Balata 'kai! Even the word was like heady wine. Balata 'kai! Where, five thousand years ago, civilization--and a lie--had been born on Kedak. Where now the ruins were ghostly in the early dawnlight, standing like grim sentinels against the still dark sky, silhouetted there on the limestone crag above the floor of the desert.
Chapter 8 of Forever We Die! is here in full — 454 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/90 · 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.
when dried yields a hard substance used e.g. in golf balls
From this reading “Balata 'kai!”
a society in an advanced state of social development (e.g., with complex legal and political and religious organizations)
From this reading “Where, five thousand years ago, civilization--and a lie--had been born on Kedak.”
a steep rugged rock or cliff
From this reading “Where now the ruins were ghostly in the early dawnlight, standing like grim sentinels against the still dark sky, silhouetted there on the limestone crag above the floor of the desert.”
resembling or characteristic of a phantom
From this reading “Where now the ruins were ghostly in the early dawnlight, standing like grim sentinels against the still dark sky, silhouetted there on the limestone crag above the floor of the desert.”
marked by the exercise of good judgment or common sense in practical matters
From this reading “Even the word was like heady wine.”
a sedimentary rock consisting mainly of calcium that was deposited by the remains of marine animals
From this reading “Where now the ruins were ghostly in the early dawnlight, standing like grim sentinels against the still dark sky, silhouetted there on the limestone crag above the floor of the desert.”
plural of “sentinel” — a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
From this reading “Where now the ruins were ghostly in the early dawnlight, standing like grim sentinels against the still dark sky, silhouetted there on the limestone crag above the floor of the desert.”
past form of “silhouette” — project on a background, such as a screen, like a silhouette
From this reading “Where now the ruins were ghostly in the early dawnlight, standing like grim sentinels against the still dark sky, silhouetted there on the limestone crag above the floor of the desert.”
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 “Where, five thousand years ago, civilization--and a lie--had been born on Kedak.”
In this reading “Where, five thousand years ago, civilization--and a lie--had been born on Kedak.”
In this reading “Where now the ruins were ghostly in the early dawnlight, standing like grim sentinels against the still dark sky, silhouetted there on the limestone crag above the floor of the desert.”
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 Where, five thousand years ago, civilization--and a lie--had been born on Kedak.
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Where now the ruins were ghostly in the early dawnlight, standing like grim sentinels against the still dark sky, silhouetted there on the limestone crag above the floor of the desert.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Where now the ruins were ghostly in the early dawnlight, standing like grim sentinels against the still dark sky, silhouetted there on the limestone crag above the floor of the desert.
in the past
From this reading Where, five thousand years ago, civilization--and a lie--had been born on Kedak.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Where, five thousand years ago, civilization--and a lie--had been born on Kedak.
when dried yields a hard substance used e.g. in golf balls
From this reading Balata 'kai!
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Where, five thousand years ago, civilization--and a lie--had been born on Kedak.
brought into existence
From this reading Where, five thousand years ago, civilization--and a lie--had been born on Kedak.
a society in an advanced state of social development (e.g., with complex legal and political and religious organizations)
From this reading Where, five thousand years ago, civilization--and a lie--had been born on Kedak.
a steep rugged rock or cliff
From this reading Where now the ruins were ghostly in the early dawnlight, standing like grim sentinels against the still dark sky, silhouetted there on the limestone crag above the floor of the desert.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Where now the ruins were ghostly in the early dawnlight, standing like grim sentinels against the still dark sky, silhouetted there on the limestone crag above the floor of the desert.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Where now the ruins were ghostly in the early dawnlight, standing like grim sentinels against the still dark sky, silhouetted there on the limestone crag above the floor of the desert.
leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading Where now the ruins were ghostly in the early dawnlight, standing like grim sentinels against the still dark sky, silhouetted there on the limestone crag above the floor of the desert.
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading Where now the ruins were ghostly in the early dawnlight, standing like grim sentinels against the still dark sky, silhouetted there on the limestone crag above the floor of the desert.
divisible by two
From this reading Even the word was like heady wine.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading Where, five thousand years ago, civilization--and a lie--had been born on Kedak.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading Where now the ruins were ghostly in the early dawnlight, standing like grim sentinels against the still dark sky, silhouetted there on the limestone crag above the floor of the desert.
resembling or characteristic of a phantom
From this reading Where now the ruins were ghostly in the early dawnlight, standing like grim sentinels against the still dark sky, silhouetted there on the limestone crag above the floor of the desert.
not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty
From this reading Where now the ruins were ghostly in the early dawnlight, standing like grim sentinels against the still dark sky, silhouetted there on the limestone crag above the floor of the desert.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Where, five thousand years ago, civilization--and a lie--had been born on Kedak.
marked by the exercise of good judgment or common sense in practical matters
From this reading Even the word was like heady wine.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Where now the ruins were ghostly in the early dawnlight, standing like grim sentinels against the still dark sky, silhouetted there on the limestone crag above the floor of the desert.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Balata 'kai!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Where, five thousand years ago, civilization--and a lie--had been born on Kedak.
be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
From this reading Where, five thousand years ago, civilization--and a lie--had been born on Kedak.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Even the word was like heady wine.
a sedimentary rock consisting mainly of calcium that was deposited by the remains of marine animals
From this reading Where now the ruins were ghostly in the early dawnlight, standing like grim sentinels against the still dark sky, silhouetted there on the limestone crag above the floor of the desert.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Where now the ruins were ghostly in the early dawnlight, standing like grim sentinels against the still dark sky, silhouetted there on the limestone crag above the floor of the desert.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Where now the ruins were ghostly in the early dawnlight, standing like grim sentinels against the still dark sky, silhouetted there on the limestone crag above the floor of the desert.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Where, five thousand years ago, civilization--and a lie--had been born on Kedak.
plural of “ruin” — an irrecoverable state of devastation and destruction
From this reading Where now the ruins were ghostly in the early dawnlight, standing like grim sentinels against the still dark sky, silhouetted there on the limestone crag above the floor of the desert.
plural of “sentinel” — a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
From this reading Where now the ruins were ghostly in the early dawnlight, standing like grim sentinels against the still dark sky, silhouetted there on the limestone crag above the floor of the desert.
past form of “silhouette” — project on a background, such as a screen, like a silhouette
From this reading Where now the ruins were ghostly in the early dawnlight, standing like grim sentinels against the still dark sky, silhouetted there on the limestone crag above the floor of the desert.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading Where now the ruins were ghostly in the early dawnlight, standing like grim sentinels against the still dark sky, silhouetted there on the limestone crag above the floor of the desert.
having a supporting base
From this reading Where now the ruins were ghostly in the early dawnlight, standing like grim sentinels against the still dark sky, silhouetted there on the limestone crag above the floor of the desert.
not in physical motion
From this reading Where now the ruins were ghostly in the early dawnlight, standing like grim sentinels against the still dark sky, silhouetted there on the limestone crag above the floor of the desert.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Even the word was like heady wine.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Where now the ruins were ghostly in the early dawnlight, standing like grim sentinels against the still dark sky, silhouetted there on the limestone crag above the floor of the desert.
the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading Where, five thousand years ago, civilization--and a lie--had been born on Kedak.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Even the word was like heady wine.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Where now the ruins were ghostly in the early dawnlight, standing like grim sentinels against the still dark sky, silhouetted there on the limestone crag above the floor of the desert.
in or at the place that
From this reading Where, five thousand years ago, civilization--and a lie--had been born on Kedak.
fermented juice (of grapes especially)
From this reading Even the word was like heady wine.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading Even the word was like heady wine.
a late time of life
From this reading Where, five thousand years ago, civilization--and a lie--had been born on Kedak.
Chapter 8 of Forever We Die! by Stephen Marlowe holds 454 sentences, grouped into 91 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 8 holds 454 sentences of Forever We Die!, unabridged, divided into 91 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Forever We Die! by Stephen Marlowe exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 454 sentences, grouped into 91 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 91 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 91 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 8 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 Forever We Die! by Stephen Marlowe on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Forever We Die! section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of Forever We Die! 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 Forever We Die!, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
