Chapter 4 of The Ego Machine is here in full — 428 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Ego Machine is here in full — 428 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"We've got to be going," Erika said desperately. "There's just time to catch the next carib--the next plane east." She reached for the contract release, but Watt suddenly put it in his pocket. He turned his chair toward Martin. "Will you give us an option on your next play?" he demanded.
Chapter 4 of The Ego Machine is here in full — 428 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 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.
enter into a contractual arrangement
From this reading “She reached for the contract release, but Watt suddenly put it in his pocket.”
with great urgency
From this reading “"We've got to be going," Erika said desperately.”
the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees
From this reading “"There's just time to catch the next carib--the next plane east."”
French bishop who is a patron saint of France (died in 397)
From this reading “He turned his chair toward Martin.”
the right to buy or sell property at an agreed price; the right is purchased and if it is not exercised by a stated date the money is forfeited
From this reading “"Will you give us an option on your next play?" he demanded.”
an aircraft that has a fixed wing and is powered by propellers or jets
From this reading “"There's just time to catch the next carib--the next plane east."”
release, as from one's grip
From this reading “She reached for the contract release, but Watt suddenly put it in his pocket.”
a unit of power equal to 1 joule per second; the power dissipated by a current of 1 ampere flowing across a resistance of 1 ohm
From this reading “She reached for the contract release, but Watt suddenly put it in his pocket.”
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.
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.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "Will you give us an option on your next play?" he demanded.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "We've got to be going," Erika said desperately.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading She reached for the contract release, but Watt suddenly put it in his pocket.
a member of an American Indian peoples of northeastern South America and the Lesser Antilles
From this reading "There's just time to catch the next carib--the next plane east."
discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading "There's just time to catch the next carib--the next plane east."
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading He turned his chair toward Martin.
enter into a contractual arrangement
From this reading She reached for the contract release, but Watt suddenly put it in his pocket.
past form of “demand” — request urgently and forcefully
From this reading "Will you give us an option on your next play?" he demanded.
with great urgency
From this reading "We've got to be going," Erika said desperately.
the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees
From this reading "There's just time to catch the next carib--the next plane east."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "We've got to be going," Erika said desperately.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading She reached for the contract release, but Watt suddenly put it in his pocket.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading "Will you give us an option on your next play?" he demanded.
the act of departing
From this reading "We've got to be going," Erika said desperately.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "We've got to be going," Erika said desperately.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He turned his chair toward Martin.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading She reached for the contract release, but Watt suddenly put it in his pocket.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She reached for the contract release, but Watt suddenly put it in his pocket.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading She reached for the contract release, but Watt suddenly put it in his pocket.
and nothing more
From this reading "There's just time to catch the next carib--the next plane east."
French bishop who is a patron saint of France (died in 397)
From this reading He turned his chair toward Martin.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading "There's just time to catch the next carib--the next plane east."
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "Will you give us an option on your next play?" he demanded.
the right to buy or sell property at an agreed price; the right is purchased and if it is not exercised by a stated date the money is forfeited
From this reading "Will you give us an option on your next play?" he demanded.
an aircraft that has a fixed wing and is powered by propellers or jets
From this reading "There's just time to catch the next carib--the next plane east."
participate in games or sport
From this reading "Will you give us an option on your next play?" he demanded.
a small pouch inside a garment for carrying small articles
From this reading She reached for the contract release, but Watt suddenly put it in his pocket.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading She reached for the contract release, but Watt suddenly put it in his pocket.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading She reached for the contract release, but Watt suddenly put it in his pocket.
release, as from one's grip
From this reading She reached for the contract release, but Watt suddenly put it in his pocket.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "We've got to be going," Erika said desperately.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She reached for the contract release, but Watt suddenly put it in his pocket.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading She reached for the contract release, but Watt suddenly put it in his pocket.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "There's just time to catch the next carib--the next plane east."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "There's just time to catch the next carib--the next plane east."
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading "There's just time to catch the next carib--the next plane east."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "We've got to be going," Erika said desperately.
in the direction of
From this reading He turned his chair toward Martin.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading He turned his chair toward Martin.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Will you give us an option on your next play?" he demanded.
a unit of power equal to 1 joule per second; the power dissipated by a current of 1 ampere flowing across a resistance of 1 ohm
From this reading She reached for the contract release, but Watt suddenly put it in his pocket.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "We've got to be going," Erika said desperately.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "Will you give us an option on your next play?" he demanded.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Will you give us an option on your next play?" he demanded.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Will you give us an option on your next play?" he demanded.
Chapter 4 of The Ego Machine by Henry Kuttner holds 428 sentences, grouped into 86 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 4 holds 428 sentences of The Ego Machine, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Ego Machine by Henry Kuttner exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 428 sentences, grouped into 86 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 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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 4 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 The Ego Machine by Henry Kuttner on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1724 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32108 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #32108, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 143 minutes of reading across 345 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Ego Machine section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 4 chapters of The Ego Machine 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 The Ego Machine, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
