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Mercenary
Mercenary

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Mercenary is here in full — 449 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Mercenary
Context Illustration Reading 1/89 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Every status-quo-caste society in history has left open two roads to rise above your caste: The Priest and The Warrior.
But in a society of TV and tranquilizers--the Warrior acquires a strange new meaning....
Joseph Mauser spotted the recruiting line-up from two or three blocks down the street, shortly after driving into Kingston.
The local offices of Vacuum Tube Transport, undoubtedly.
Baron Haer would be doing his recruiting for the fracas with Continental Hovercraft there if for no other reason than to save on rents.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Mercenary

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Mercenary is here in full — 449 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/89 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Every status-quo-caste society in history has left open two roads to rise above your caste: The Priest and The Warrior.
Line 2
But in a society of TV and tranquilizers--the Warrior acquires a strange new meaning....
Line 3
Joseph Mauser spotted the recruiting line-up from two or three blocks down the street, shortly after driving into Kingston.
Line 4
The local offices of Vacuum Tube Transport, undoubtedly.
/ðə ˈloʊkəl ˈɔːfəsəz ʌv ˈvækjuːm tuːb trænˈspɔːrt ənˈdaʊtɪdli/
Line 5
Baron Haer would be doing his recruiting for the fracas with Continental Hovercraft there if for no other reason than to save on rents.

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.

acquires verb US /əˈkwaɪərz/

third-person singular of “acquire” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading “But in a society of TV and tranquilizers--the Warrior acquires a strange new meaning....”

fracas noun US /ˈfreɪkəs/

noisy quarrel

From this reading “Baron Haer would be doing his recruiting for the fracas with Continental Hovercraft there if for no other reason than to save on rents.”

Hovercraft noun US /ˈhʌvərkræft/

a craft capable of moving over water or land on a cushion of air created by jet engines

From this reading “Baron Haer would be doing his recruiting for the fracas with Continental Hovercraft there if for no other reason than to save on rents.”

Kingston noun US /ˈkɪŋstən/

a town on the Hudson River in New York

From this reading “Joseph Mauser spotted the recruiting line-up from two or three blocks down the street, shortly after driving into Kingston.”

Mauser noun US /ˈmaʊsər/

German arms manufacturer and inventor of a repeating rifle and pistol (1838-1914)

From this reading “Joseph Mauser spotted the recruiting line-up from two or three blocks down the street, shortly after driving into Kingston.”

recruiting verb US /rəˈkruːtɪŋ/

-ing form of “recruit” — register formally as a participant or member

From this reading “Joseph Mauser spotted the recruiting line-up from two or three blocks down the street, shortly after driving into Kingston.”

tranquilizers noun US /ˈtræŋkwəlaɪzərz/

plural of “tranquilizer” — a drug used to reduce stress or tension without reducing mental clarity

From this reading “But in a society of TV and tranquilizers--the Warrior acquires a strange new meaning....”

Vacuum noun US /ˈvækjuːm/

the absence of matter

From this reading “The local offices of Vacuum Tube Transport, undoubtedly.”

All words in this reading · 70

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading But in a society of TV and tranquilizers--the Warrior acquires a strange new meaning....

aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading Every status-quo-caste society in history has left open two roads to rise above your caste: The Priest and The Warrior.

acquiresverbUS /əˈkwaɪərz/

third-person singular of “acquire” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading But in a society of TV and tranquilizers--the Warrior acquires a strange new meaning....

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading Joseph Mauser spotted the recruiting line-up from two or three blocks down the street, shortly after driving into Kingston.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Every status-quo-caste society in history has left open two roads to rise above your caste: The Priest and The Warrior.

BaronnounUS /ˈbærən/

a nobleman (in various countries) of varying rank

From this reading Baron Haer would be doing his recruiting for the fracas with Continental Hovercraft there if for no other reason than to save on rents.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Baron Haer would be doing his recruiting for the fracas with Continental Hovercraft there if for no other reason than to save on rents.

blocksnounUS /blɑːks/

plural of “block” — a solid piece of something (usually having flat rectangular sides)

From this reading Joseph Mauser spotted the recruiting line-up from two or three blocks down the street, shortly after driving into Kingston.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But in a society of TV and tranquilizers--the Warrior acquires a strange new meaning....

castenounUS /kæst/

social status or position conferred by a system based on class

From this reading Every status-quo-caste society in history has left open two roads to rise above your caste: The Priest and The Warrior.

ContinentaladjectiveUS /ˌkɑːntəˈnentəl/

of or pertaining to or typical of Europe

From this reading Baron Haer would be doing his recruiting for the fracas with Continental Hovercraft there if for no other reason than to save on rents.

doingverbUS /ˈduːɪŋ/

-ing form of “do” — engage in

From this reading Baron Haer would be doing his recruiting for the fracas with Continental Hovercraft there if for no other reason than to save on rents.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Joseph Mauser spotted the recruiting line-up from two or three blocks down the street, shortly after driving into Kingston.

drivingadjectiveUS /ˈdraɪvɪŋ/

having the power of driving or impelling

From this reading Joseph Mauser spotted the recruiting line-up from two or three blocks down the street, shortly after driving into Kingston.

EverydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading Every status-quo-caste society in history has left open two roads to rise above your caste: The Priest and The Warrior.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Baron Haer would be doing his recruiting for the fracas with Continental Hovercraft there if for no other reason than to save on rents.

fracasnounUS /ˈfreɪkəs/

noisy quarrel

From this reading Baron Haer would be doing his recruiting for the fracas with Continental Hovercraft there if for no other reason than to save on rents.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Joseph Mauser spotted the recruiting line-up from two or three blocks down the street, shortly after driving into Kingston.

Haer

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

From this reading Baron Haer would be doing his recruiting for the fracas with Continental Hovercraft there if for no other reason than to save on rents.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Every status-quo-caste society in history has left open two roads to rise above your caste: The Priest and The Warrior.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Baron Haer would be doing his recruiting for the fracas with Continental Hovercraft there if for no other reason than to save on rents.

historynounUS /ˈhɪstəri/

the aggregate of past events

From this reading Every status-quo-caste society in history has left open two roads to rise above your caste: The Priest and The Warrior.

HovercraftnounUS /ˈhʌvərkræft/

a craft capable of moving over water or land on a cushion of air created by jet engines

From this reading Baron Haer would be doing his recruiting for the fracas with Continental Hovercraft there if for no other reason than to save on rents.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Baron Haer would be doing his recruiting for the fracas with Continental Hovercraft there if for no other reason than to save on rents.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Every status-quo-caste society in history has left open two roads to rise above your caste: The Priest and The Warrior.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Joseph Mauser spotted the recruiting line-up from two or three blocks down the street, shortly after driving into Kingston.

JosephnounUS /ˈdʒoʊsəf/

leader of the Nez Perce in their retreat from United States troops (1840-1904)

From this reading Joseph Mauser spotted the recruiting line-up from two or three blocks down the street, shortly after driving into Kingston.

KingstonnounUS /ˈkɪŋstən/

a town on the Hudson River in New York

From this reading Joseph Mauser spotted the recruiting line-up from two or three blocks down the street, shortly after driving into Kingston.

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading Every status-quo-caste society in history has left open two roads to rise above your caste: The Priest and The Warrior.

line-up

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

From this reading Joseph Mauser spotted the recruiting line-up from two or three blocks down the street, shortly after driving into Kingston.

localadjectiveUS /ˈloʊkəl/

relating to or applicable to or concerned with the administration of a city or town or district rather than a larger area

From this reading The local offices of Vacuum Tube Transport, undoubtedly.

MausernounUS /ˈmaʊsər/

German arms manufacturer and inventor of a repeating rifle and pistol (1838-1914)

From this reading Joseph Mauser spotted the recruiting line-up from two or three blocks down the street, shortly after driving into Kingston.

meaningnounUS /ˈmiːnɪŋ/

the message that is intended or expressed or signified

From this reading But in a society of TV and tranquilizers--the Warrior acquires a strange new meaning....

newadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading But in a society of TV and tranquilizers--the Warrior acquires a strange new meaning....

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Baron Haer would be doing his recruiting for the fracas with Continental Hovercraft there if for no other reason than to save on rents.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading But in a society of TV and tranquilizers--the Warrior acquires a strange new meaning....

officesnounUS /ˈɔːfəsəz/

plural of “office” — place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed

From this reading The local offices of Vacuum Tube Transport, undoubtedly.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Baron Haer would be doing his recruiting for the fracas with Continental Hovercraft there if for no other reason than to save on rents.

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading Every status-quo-caste society in history has left open two roads to rise above your caste: The Priest and The Warrior.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Joseph Mauser spotted the recruiting line-up from two or three blocks down the street, shortly after driving into Kingston.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading Baron Haer would be doing his recruiting for the fracas with Continental Hovercraft there if for no other reason than to save on rents.

PriestnounUS /priːst/

a clergyman in Christian churches who has the authority to perform or administer various religious rites; one of the Holy Orders

From this reading Every status-quo-caste society in history has left open two roads to rise above your caste: The Priest and The Warrior.

reasonnounUS /ˈriːzən/

a rational motive for a belief or action

From this reading Baron Haer would be doing his recruiting for the fracas with Continental Hovercraft there if for no other reason than to save on rents.

recruitingverbUS /rəˈkruːtɪŋ/

-ing form of “recruit” — register formally as a participant or member

From this reading Joseph Mauser spotted the recruiting line-up from two or three blocks down the street, shortly after driving into Kingston.

rentsnounUS /rents/

plural of “rent” — a payment or series of payments made by the lessee to an owner for use of some property, facility, equipment, or service

From this reading Baron Haer would be doing his recruiting for the fracas with Continental Hovercraft there if for no other reason than to save on rents.

riseverbUS /raɪz/

move upward

From this reading Every status-quo-caste society in history has left open two roads to rise above your caste: The Priest and The Warrior.

roadsnounUS /roʊdz/

a partly sheltered anchorage

From this reading Every status-quo-caste society in history has left open two roads to rise above your caste: The Priest and The Warrior.

saveprepositionUS /seɪv/

except for; apart from

From this reading Baron Haer would be doing his recruiting for the fracas with Continental Hovercraft there if for no other reason than to save on rents.

shortlyadverbUS /ˈʃɔːrtli/

for a short time

From this reading Joseph Mauser spotted the recruiting line-up from two or three blocks down the street, shortly after driving into Kingston.

societynounUS /səˈsaɪəti/

an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization

From this reading Every status-quo-caste society in history has left open two roads to rise above your caste: The Priest and The Warrior.

spottedadjectiveUS /ˈspɑːtɪd/

having spots or patches (small areas of contrasting color or texture)

From this reading Joseph Mauser spotted the recruiting line-up from two or three blocks down the street, shortly after driving into Kingston.

status-quo-caste

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

From this reading Every status-quo-caste society in history has left open two roads to rise above your caste: The Priest and The Warrior.

strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading But in a society of TV and tranquilizers--the Warrior acquires a strange new meaning....

streetnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading Joseph Mauser spotted the recruiting line-up from two or three blocks down the street, shortly after driving into Kingston.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Baron Haer would be doing his recruiting for the fracas with Continental Hovercraft there if for no other reason than to save on rents.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Every status-quo-caste society in history has left open two roads to rise above your caste: The Priest and The Warrior.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Baron Haer would be doing his recruiting for the fracas with Continental Hovercraft there if for no other reason than to save on rents.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading Joseph Mauser spotted the recruiting line-up from two or three blocks down the street, shortly after driving into Kingston.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Every status-quo-caste society in history has left open two roads to rise above your caste: The Priest and The Warrior.

tranquilizersnounUS /ˈtræŋkwəlaɪzərz/

plural of “tranquilizer” — a drug used to reduce stress or tension without reducing mental clarity

From this reading But in a society of TV and tranquilizers--the Warrior acquires a strange new meaning....

TransportnounUS /trænˈspɔːrt/

something that serves as a means of transportation

From this reading The local offices of Vacuum Tube Transport, undoubtedly.

TubenounUS /tuːb/

conduit consisting of a long hollow object (usually cylindrical) used to hold and conduct objects or liquids or gases

From this reading The local offices of Vacuum Tube Transport, undoubtedly.

TVnounUS /ˈtiːˈviː/

broadcasting visual images of stationary or moving objects

From this reading But in a society of TV and tranquilizers--the Warrior acquires a strange new meaning....

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Every status-quo-caste society in history has left open two roads to rise above your caste: The Priest and The Warrior.

undoubtedlyadverbUS /ənˈdaʊtɪdli/

without doubt; certainly

From this reading The local offices of Vacuum Tube Transport, undoubtedly.

VacuumnounUS /ˈvækjuːm/

the absence of matter

From this reading The local offices of Vacuum Tube Transport, undoubtedly.

WarriornounUS /ˈwɔːriər/

someone engaged in or experienced in warfare

From this reading Every status-quo-caste society in history has left open two roads to rise above your caste: The Priest and The Warrior.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Baron Haer would be doing his recruiting for the fracas with Continental Hovercraft there if for no other reason than to save on rents.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading Baron Haer would be doing his recruiting for the fracas with Continental Hovercraft there if for no other reason than to save on rents.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Every status-quo-caste society in history has left open two roads to rise above your caste: The Priest and The Warrior.

Chapter 1 of Mercenary by Mack Reynolds holds 449 sentences, grouped into 90 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 1 of Mercenary contain?

Chapter 1 holds 449 sentences of Mercenary, unabridged, divided into 90 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Mercenary by Mack Reynolds exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 449 sentences, grouped into 90 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 1 of Mercenary?

Work through the 90 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 90 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Mercenary

Common questions about reading Mercenary by Mack Reynolds on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Mercenary?

Yes. All 1783 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #24370 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Mercenary is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #24370, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Mercenary take to read?

About 148 minutes of reading across 357 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Mercenary section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 4 chapters of Mercenary 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 Mercenary

Words and structures a reader meets early in Mercenary, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Every
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mercenary; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Status-quo-caste
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mercenary; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Society
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mercenary; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
History
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mercenary; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.