Chapter 7 of Space Viking is here in full — 432 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VII
Chapter 7 of Space Viking is here in full — 432 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Well, thank you. I'll want to hear those tapes. Now, you say you want steel?" "Well, I haven't any money. That's why I was going to raid Tetragrammaton."
Chapter 7 of Space Viking is here in full — 432 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/86 · 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.
the act of departing
From this reading “That's why I was going to raid Tetragrammaton."”
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading “I'll want to hear those tapes.”
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading “"Well, I haven't any money.”
search without warning, make a sudden surprise attack on
From this reading “That's why I was going to raid Tetragrammaton."”
an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range
From this reading “Now, you say you want steel?"”
plural of “tape” — a long thin piece of cloth or paper as used for binding or fastening
From this reading “I'll want to hear those tapes.”
express gratitude or show appreciation to
From this reading “"Well, thank you.”
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading “I'll want to hear those tapes.”
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.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading "Well, I haven't any money.
the act of departing
From this reading That's why I was going to raid Tetragrammaton."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Well, I haven't any money.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading I'll want to hear those tapes.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Well, I haven't any money.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I'll want to hear those tapes.
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading "Well, I haven't any money.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now, you say you want steel?"
search without warning, make a sudden surprise attack on
From this reading That's why I was going to raid Tetragrammaton."
express in words
From this reading Now, you say you want steel?"
an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range
From this reading Now, you say you want steel?"
plural of “tape” — a long thin piece of cloth or paper as used for binding or fastening
From this reading I'll want to hear those tapes.
four Hebrew letters usually transliterated as YHWH (Yahweh) or JHVH (Jehovah) signifying the Hebrew name for God which the Jews regarded as too holy to pronounce
From this reading That's why I was going to raid Tetragrammaton."
express gratitude or show appreciation to
From this reading "Well, thank you.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That's why I was going to raid Tetragrammaton."
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading I'll want to hear those tapes.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I'll want to hear those tapes.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading I'll want to hear those tapes.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading That's why I was going to raid Tetragrammaton."
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading "Well, thank you.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading That's why I was going to raid Tetragrammaton."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Well, thank you.
Chapter 7 of Space Viking by H. Beam Piper holds 432 sentences, grouped into 87 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 7 holds 432 sentences of Space Viking, unabridged, divided into 87 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 7 of Space Viking by H. Beam Piper exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 432 sentences, grouped into 87 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 87 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 87 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 7 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.
