Chapter 9 of The Jewels of Aptor is here in full — 515 sentences across 103 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of The Jewels of Aptor is here in full — 515 sentences across 103 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The pale woman with the tiny eyes rose from over him. Her hair dropped like white silk threads over her shoulders. "You are awake?" she asked. "Do you understand me?" "Am I at--at Hama's temple?" he asked, the remnants of the dream still blowing in at the edges of his mind, like shredding cloth.
Chapter 9 of The Jewels of Aptor is here in full — 515 sentences across 103 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/103 · 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.
not in a state of sleep; completely conscious
From this reading “"You are awake?" she asked.”
processing that involves blowing a gas
From this reading “"Am I at--at Hama's temple?" he asked, the remnants of the dream still blowing in at the edges of his mind, like shredding cloth.”
plural of “edge” — the boundary of a surface
From this reading “"Am I at--at Hama's temple?" he asked, the remnants of the dream still blowing in at the edges of his mind, like shredding cloth.”
plural of “remnant” — a small part or portion that remains after the main part no longer exists
From this reading “"Am I at--at Hama's temple?" he asked, the remnants of the dream still blowing in at the edges of his mind, like shredding cloth.”
inflected form of “shred” — tear into shreds
From this reading “"Am I at--at Hama's temple?" he asked, the remnants of the dream still blowing in at the edges of his mind, like shredding cloth.”
a fabric made from the fine threads produced by certain insect larvae
From this reading “Her hair dropped like white silk threads over her shoulders.”
place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity
From this reading “"Am I at--at Hama's temple?" he asked, the remnants of the dream still blowing in at the edges of his mind, like shredding cloth.”
informal terms for clothing
From this reading “Her hair dropped like white silk threads over her shoulders.”
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 “Her hair dropped like white silk threads over her shoulders.”
In this reading “"Am I at--at Hama's temple?" he asked, the remnants of the dream still blowing in at the edges of his mind, like shredding cloth.”
In this reading “"Am I at--at Hama's temple?" he asked, the remnants of the dream still blowing in at the edges of his mind, like shredding cloth.”
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 “be” used with “I”
From this reading "Am I at--at Hama's temple?" he asked, the remnants of the dream still blowing in at the edges of his mind, like shredding cloth.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "You are awake?" she asked.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "You are awake?" she asked.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "Am I at--at Hama's temple?" he asked, the remnants of the dream still blowing in at the edges of his mind, like shredding cloth.
not in a state of sleep; completely conscious
From this reading "You are awake?" she asked.
processing that involves blowing a gas
From this reading "Am I at--at Hama's temple?" he asked, the remnants of the dream still blowing in at the edges of his mind, like shredding cloth.
artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers
From this reading "Am I at--at Hama's temple?" he asked, the remnants of the dream still blowing in at the edges of his mind, like shredding cloth.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Do you understand me?"
A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.
From this reading "Am I at--at Hama's temple?" he asked, the remnants of the dream still blowing in at the edges of his mind, like shredding cloth.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading Her hair dropped like white silk threads over her shoulders.
plural of “edge” — the boundary of a surface
From this reading "Am I at--at Hama's temple?" he asked, the remnants of the dream still blowing in at the edges of his mind, like shredding cloth.
opinion or judgment
From this reading The pale woman with the tiny eyes rose from over him.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The pale woman with the tiny eyes rose from over him.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading Her hair dropped like white silk threads over her shoulders.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Am I at--at Hama's temple?" he asked, the remnants of the dream still blowing in at the edges of his mind, like shredding cloth.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Am I at--at Hama's temple?" he asked, the remnants of the dream still blowing in at the edges of his mind, like shredding cloth.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Her hair dropped like white silk threads over her shoulders.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The pale woman with the tiny eyes rose from over him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "Am I at--at Hama's temple?" he asked, the remnants of the dream still blowing in at the edges of his mind, like shredding cloth.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Am I at--at Hama's temple?" he asked, the remnants of the dream still blowing in at the edges of his mind, like shredding cloth.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Am I at--at Hama's temple?" he asked, the remnants of the dream still blowing in at the edges of his mind, like shredding cloth.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Her hair dropped like white silk threads over her shoulders.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Do you understand me?"
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading "Am I at--at Hama's temple?" he asked, the remnants of the dream still blowing in at the edges of his mind, like shredding cloth.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Am I at--at Hama's temple?" he asked, the remnants of the dream still blowing in at the edges of his mind, like shredding cloth.
above and across; more than
From this reading The pale woman with the tiny eyes rose from over him.
very light colored; highly diluted with white
From this reading The pale woman with the tiny eyes rose from over him.
plural of “remnant” — a small part or portion that remains after the main part no longer exists
From this reading "Am I at--at Hama's temple?" he asked, the remnants of the dream still blowing in at the edges of his mind, like shredding cloth.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading The pale woman with the tiny eyes rose from over him.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "You are awake?" she asked.
plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm
From this reading Her hair dropped like white silk threads over her shoulders.
inflected form of “shred” — tear into shreds
From this reading "Am I at--at Hama's temple?" he asked, the remnants of the dream still blowing in at the edges of his mind, like shredding cloth.
a fabric made from the fine threads produced by certain insect larvae
From this reading Her hair dropped like white silk threads over her shoulders.
not in physical motion
From this reading "Am I at--at Hama's temple?" he asked, the remnants of the dream still blowing in at the edges of his mind, like shredding cloth.
place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity
From this reading "Am I at--at Hama's temple?" he asked, the remnants of the dream still blowing in at the edges of his mind, like shredding cloth.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The pale woman with the tiny eyes rose from over him.
informal terms for clothing
From this reading Her hair dropped like white silk threads over her shoulders.
very small
From this reading The pale woman with the tiny eyes rose from over him.
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading "Do you understand me?"
a Caucasian
From this reading Her hair dropped like white silk threads over her shoulders.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The pale woman with the tiny eyes rose from over him.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading The pale woman with the tiny eyes rose from over him.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You are awake?" she asked.
Chapter 9 of The Jewels of Aptor by Samuel R. Delany holds 515 sentences, grouped into 103 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 9 holds 515 sentences of The Jewels of Aptor, unabridged, divided into 103 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of The Jewels of Aptor by Samuel R. Delany exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 515 sentences, grouped into 103 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 103 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 103 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 9 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 Jewels of Aptor by Samuel R. Delany on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4541 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #41981 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #41981, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 378 minutes of reading across 909 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Jewels of Aptor section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 13 chapters of The Jewels of Aptor 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 Jewels of Aptor, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
