Chapter 3 of Space Viking is here in full — 440 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Space Viking is here in full — 440 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"A lot of captains would try to come out with the moon masked off by the planet," Harkaman said. "Would you?" The big man shook his tousled head. "No. If they have launchers on the moon, they could launch at us in a curve around the planet, by data relayed from the other side, and we'd be at a disadvantage replying. Just go straight in.
Chapter 3 of Space Viking is here in full — 440 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/88 · 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.
a collection of facts from which conclusions may be drawn
From this reading “"No. If they have launchers on the moon, they could launch at us in a curve around the planet, by data relayed from the other side, and we'd be at a disadvantage replying.”
the quality of having an inferior or less favorable position
From this reading “"No. If they have launchers on the moon, they could launch at us in a curve around the planet, by data relayed from the other side, and we'd be at a disadvantage replying.”
set up or found
From this reading “"No. If they have launchers on the moon, they could launch at us in a curve around the planet, by data relayed from the other side, and we'd be at a disadvantage replying.”
plural of “launcher” — armament in the form of a device capable of launching a rocket
From this reading “"No. If they have launchers on the moon, they could launch at us in a curve around the planet, by data relayed from the other side, and we'd be at a disadvantage replying.”
having its true character concealed with the intent of misleading
From this reading “"A lot of captains would try to come out with the moon masked off by the planet," Harkaman said.”
(astronomy) any of the nine large celestial bodies in the solar system that revolve around the sun and shine by reflected light
From this reading “"A lot of captains would try to come out with the moon masked off by the planet," Harkaman said.”
past form of “relay” — pass along
From this reading “"No. If they have launchers on the moon, they could launch at us in a curve around the planet, by data relayed from the other side, and we'd be at a disadvantage replying.”
-ing form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading “"No. If they have launchers on the moon, they could launch at us in a curve around the planet, by data relayed from the other side, and we'd be at a disadvantage replying.”
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 "A lot of captains would try to come out with the moon masked off by the planet," Harkaman said.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "No. If they have launchers on the moon, they could launch at us in a curve around the planet, by data relayed from the other side, and we'd be at a disadvantage replying.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading "No. If they have launchers on the moon, they could launch at us in a curve around the planet, by data relayed from the other side, and we'd be at a disadvantage replying.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "No. If they have launchers on the moon, they could launch at us in a curve around the planet, by data relayed from the other side, and we'd be at a disadvantage replying.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "No. If they have launchers on the moon, they could launch at us in a curve around the planet, by data relayed from the other side, and we'd be at a disadvantage replying.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The big man shook his tousled head.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "A lot of captains would try to come out with the moon masked off by the planet," Harkaman said.
plural of “captain” — an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading "A lot of captains would try to come out with the moon masked off by the planet," Harkaman said.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "A lot of captains would try to come out with the moon masked off by the planet," Harkaman said.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading "No. If they have launchers on the moon, they could launch at us in a curve around the planet, by data relayed from the other side, and we'd be at a disadvantage replying.
the trace of a point whose direction of motion changes
From this reading "No. If they have launchers on the moon, they could launch at us in a curve around the planet, by data relayed from the other side, and we'd be at a disadvantage replying.
a collection of facts from which conclusions may be drawn
From this reading "No. If they have launchers on the moon, they could launch at us in a curve around the planet, by data relayed from the other side, and we'd be at a disadvantage replying.
the quality of having an inferior or less favorable position
From this reading "No. If they have launchers on the moon, they could launch at us in a curve around the planet, by data relayed from the other side, and we'd be at a disadvantage replying.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "No. If they have launchers on the moon, they could launch at us in a curve around the planet, by data relayed from the other side, and we'd be at a disadvantage replying.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Just go straight in.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "A lot of captains would try to come out with the moon masked off by the planet," Harkaman said.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "No. If they have launchers on the moon, they could launch at us in a curve around the planet, by data relayed from the other side, and we'd be at a disadvantage replying.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading The big man shook his tousled head.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The big man shook his tousled head.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "No. If they have launchers on the moon, they could launch at us in a curve around the planet, by data relayed from the other side, and we'd be at a disadvantage replying.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "No. If they have launchers on the moon, they could launch at us in a curve around the planet, by data relayed from the other side, and we'd be at a disadvantage replying.
and nothing more
From this reading Just go straight in.
set up or found
From this reading "No. If they have launchers on the moon, they could launch at us in a curve around the planet, by data relayed from the other side, and we'd be at a disadvantage replying.
plural of “launcher” — armament in the form of a device capable of launching a rocket
From this reading "No. If they have launchers on the moon, they could launch at us in a curve around the planet, by data relayed from the other side, and we'd be at a disadvantage replying.
(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent
From this reading "A lot of captains would try to come out with the moon masked off by the planet," Harkaman said.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The big man shook his tousled head.
having its true character concealed with the intent of misleading
From this reading "A lot of captains would try to come out with the moon masked off by the planet," Harkaman said.
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading "A lot of captains would try to come out with the moon masked off by the planet," Harkaman said.
not any; not one
From this reading "No. If they have launchers on the moon, they could launch at us in a curve around the planet, by data relayed from the other side, and we'd be at a disadvantage replying.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "A lot of captains would try to come out with the moon masked off by the planet," Harkaman said.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading "A lot of captains would try to come out with the moon masked off by the planet," Harkaman said.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "No. If they have launchers on the moon, they could launch at us in a curve around the planet, by data relayed from the other side, and we'd be at a disadvantage replying.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading "No. If they have launchers on the moon, they could launch at us in a curve around the planet, by data relayed from the other side, and we'd be at a disadvantage replying.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "A lot of captains would try to come out with the moon masked off by the planet," Harkaman said.
(astronomy) any of the nine large celestial bodies in the solar system that revolve around the sun and shine by reflected light
From this reading "A lot of captains would try to come out with the moon masked off by the planet," Harkaman said.
past form of “relay” — pass along
From this reading "No. If they have launchers on the moon, they could launch at us in a curve around the planet, by data relayed from the other side, and we'd be at a disadvantage replying.
-ing form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "No. If they have launchers on the moon, they could launch at us in a curve around the planet, by data relayed from the other side, and we'd be at a disadvantage replying.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "A lot of captains would try to come out with the moon masked off by the planet," Harkaman said.
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading The big man shook his tousled head.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading "No. If they have launchers on the moon, they could launch at us in a curve around the planet, by data relayed from the other side, and we'd be at a disadvantage replying.
successive (without a break)
From this reading Just go straight in.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "A lot of captains would try to come out with the moon masked off by the planet," Harkaman said.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "No. If they have launchers on the moon, they could launch at us in a curve around the planet, by data relayed from the other side, and we'd be at a disadvantage replying.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "A lot of captains would try to come out with the moon masked off by the planet," Harkaman said.
in disarray; extremely disorderly
From this reading The big man shook his tousled head.
make an effort or attempt
From this reading "A lot of captains would try to come out with the moon masked off by the planet," Harkaman said.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "No. If they have launchers on the moon, they could launch at us in a curve around the planet, by data relayed from the other side, and we'd be at a disadvantage replying.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "No. If they have launchers on the moon, they could launch at us in a curve around the planet, by data relayed from the other side, and we'd be at a disadvantage replying.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "A lot of captains would try to come out with the moon masked off by the planet," Harkaman said.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading "A lot of captains would try to come out with the moon masked off by the planet," Harkaman said.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Would you?"
Chapter 3 of Space Viking by H. Beam Piper holds 440 sentences, grouped into 88 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 3 holds 440 sentences of Space Viking, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Space Viking by H. Beam Piper exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 440 sentences, grouped into 88 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 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 88 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 3 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 Space Viking by H. Beam Piper on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4768 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #20728 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #20728, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 397 minutes of reading across 954 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Space Viking section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of Space Viking 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 Space Viking, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
