Chapter 6 of The Secret Martians is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VI
Chapter 6 of The Secret Martians is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"So that's why Clatclit was dickering for the collapser at that meeting you eavesdropped on!" Snow exclaimed. "Sure," I said. "The rebels wanted that collapser for purposes of duplication. Its mechanism is one of Security's best-kept secrets.
Chapter 6 of The Secret Martians is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
-ing form of “dicker” — negotiate the terms of an exchange
From this reading “"So that's why Clatclit was dickering for the collapser at that meeting you eavesdropped on!"”
a copy that corresponds to an original exactly
From this reading “"The rebels wanted that collapser for purposes of duplication.”
the atomic process that occurs during a chemical reaction
From this reading “Its mechanism is one of Security's best-kept secrets.”
a formally arranged gathering
From this reading “"So that's why Clatclit was dickering for the collapser at that meeting you eavesdropped on!"”
plural of “purpose” — an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading “"The rebels wanted that collapser for purposes of duplication.”
plural of “rebel” — “Johnny” was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; “greyback” derived from their grey Confederate uniforms
From this reading “"The rebels wanted that collapser for purposes of duplication.”
plural of “secret” — something that should remain hidden from others (especially information that is not to be passed on)
From this reading “Its mechanism is one of Security's best-kept secrets.”
possessive form of “security” — the state of being free from danger or injury
From this reading “Its mechanism is one of Security's best-kept secrets.”
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.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "So that's why Clatclit was dickering for the collapser at that meeting you eavesdropped on!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Its mechanism is one of Security's best-kept secrets.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "So that's why Clatclit was dickering for the collapser at that meeting you eavesdropped on!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "So that's why Clatclit was dickering for the collapser at that meeting you eavesdropped on!"
-ing form of “dicker” — negotiate the terms of an exchange
From this reading "So that's why Clatclit was dickering for the collapser at that meeting you eavesdropped on!"
a copy that corresponds to an original exactly
From this reading "The rebels wanted that collapser for purposes of duplication.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "So that's why Clatclit was dickering for the collapser at that meeting you eavesdropped on!"
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading Snow exclaimed.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "So that's why Clatclit was dickering for the collapser at that meeting you eavesdropped on!"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Sure," I said.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Its mechanism is one of Security's best-kept secrets.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Its mechanism is one of Security's best-kept secrets.
the atomic process that occurs during a chemical reaction
From this reading Its mechanism is one of Security's best-kept secrets.
a formally arranged gathering
From this reading "So that's why Clatclit was dickering for the collapser at that meeting you eavesdropped on!"
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "The rebels wanted that collapser for purposes of duplication.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "So that's why Clatclit was dickering for the collapser at that meeting you eavesdropped on!"
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Its mechanism is one of Security's best-kept secrets.
plural of “purpose” — an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading "The rebels wanted that collapser for purposes of duplication.
plural of “rebel” — “Johnny” was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; “greyback” derived from their grey Confederate uniforms
From this reading "The rebels wanted that collapser for purposes of duplication.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Sure," I said.
plural of “secret” — something that should remain hidden from others (especially information that is not to be passed on)
From this reading Its mechanism is one of Security's best-kept secrets.
possessive form of “security” — the state of being free from danger or injury
From this reading Its mechanism is one of Security's best-kept secrets.
precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
From this reading Snow exclaimed.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "So that's why Clatclit was dickering for the collapser at that meeting you eavesdropped on!"
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading "Sure," I said.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "So that's why Clatclit was dickering for the collapser at that meeting you eavesdropped on!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "So that's why Clatclit was dickering for the collapser at that meeting you eavesdropped on!"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "So that's why Clatclit was dickering for the collapser at that meeting you eavesdropped on!"
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading "The rebels wanted that collapser for purposes of duplication.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "So that's why Clatclit was dickering for the collapser at that meeting you eavesdropped on!"
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "So that's why Clatclit was dickering for the collapser at that meeting you eavesdropped on!"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "So that's why Clatclit was dickering for the collapser at that meeting you eavesdropped on!"
Chapter 6 of The Secret Martians by Jack Sharkey holds 423 sentences, grouped into 85 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 6 holds 423 sentences of The Secret Martians, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 6 of The Secret Martians by Jack Sharkey exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 423 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 6 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 Secret Martians by Jack Sharkey on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3857 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #50668 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #50668, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 321 minutes of reading across 772 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Secret Martians section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 9 chapters of The Secret Martians 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 Secret Martians, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
