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The skeleton crew
The skeleton crew

Chapter XIII

Chapter 13 of The skeleton crew is here in full — 163 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/32 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
CAPTAIN JACK PLAYS A TRUMP CARD—THE GAY COMPANY SURPRISED.
As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.
“Lord Smash and friends,” said the astonished domestic, announcing the stranger in a loud voice.
“Lord who?” said Phillip, in astonishment, as he turned his eyes, and beheld Captain Jack before him.
For a moment he knew not what to do or say.
0:00 / 0:00
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The skeleton crew

Chapter XIII

Chapter 13 of The skeleton crew is here in full — 163 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/32 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
CAPTAIN JACK PLAYS A TRUMP CARD—THE GAY COMPANY SURPRISED.
Line 2
As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.
Line 3
“Lord Smash and friends,” said the astonished domestic, announcing the stranger in a loud voice.
/lɔːrd smæʃ ənd frendz sed ðə əˈstɑːnɪʃt dəˈmestɪk əˈnaʊnsɪŋ ðə ˈstreɪndʒər ɪn ə laʊd vɔɪs/
Line 4
“Lord who?” said Phillip, in astonishment, as he turned his eyes, and beheld Captain Jack before him.
Line 5
For a moment he knew not what to do or say.
/fɔːr ə ˈmoʊmənt hiː nuː nɑːt wʌt tuː duː ɔːr seɪ/

Learner Dictionary

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.

announcing verb US /əˈnaʊnsɪŋ/

-ing form of “announce” — make known; make an announcement

From this reading ““Lord Smash and friends,” said the astonished domestic, announcing the stranger in a loud voice.”

elegantly adverb US /ˈelɪɡəntliː/

with elegance; in a tastefully elegant manner

From this reading “As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.”

narrated verb US /ˈnereɪtɪd/

past form of “narrate” — provide commentary for a film, for example

From this reading “As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.”

Smash verb US /smæʃ/

hit hard

From this reading ““Lord Smash and friends,” said the astonished domestic, announcing the stranger in a loud voice.”

suite noun US /swiːt/

a musical composition of several movements only loosely connected

From this reading “As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.”

thrusting noun US /ˈθrʌstɪŋ/

a sharp hand gesture (resembling a blow)

From this reading “As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.”

trump verb US /trʌmp/

produce a sound as if from a trumpet

From this reading “CAPTAIN JACK PLAYS A TRUMP CARD—THE GAY COMPANY SURPRISED.”

uninvited adjective US /ˌʌnɪnˈvaɪtɪd/

(of a thought or act) unwelcome or involuntary

From this reading “As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

TRUMP CARD verb + noun

a playing card in the suit that has been declared trumps

In this reading “CAPTAIN JACK PLAYS A TRUMP CARD—THE GAY COMPANY SURPRISED.”

elegantly furnished adverb + adjective

In this reading “As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.”

insisted upon verb + particle counted as “insist upon”

In this reading “As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.”

previous chapter adjective + noun

In this reading “As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.”

loud voice adjective + noun

In this reading ““Lord Smash and friends,” said the astonished domestic, announcing the stranger in a loud voice.”

GAY COMPANY adjective + noun

In this reading “CAPTAIN JACK PLAYS A TRUMP CARD—THE GAY COMPANY SURPRISED.”

For a moment preposition + article + noun counted as “for … moment”

temporarily

In this reading “For a moment he knew not what to do or say.”

in astonishment preposition + noun

In this reading ““Lord who?” said Phillip, in astonishment, as he turned his eyes, and beheld Captain Jack before him.”

All words in this reading · 60

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.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading CAPTAIN JACK PLAYS A TRUMP CARD—THE GAY COMPANY SURPRISED.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.

announcingverbUS /əˈnaʊnsɪŋ/

-ing form of “announce” — make known; make an announcement

From this reading “Lord Smash and friends,” said the astonished domestic, announcing the stranger in a loud voice.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.

assembledverbUS /əˈsembəld/

past form of “assemble” — create by putting components or members together

From this reading As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.

astonishedadjectiveUS /əˈstɑːnɪʃt/

filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock

From this reading “Lord Smash and friends,” said the astonished domestic, announcing the stranger in a loud voice.

astonishmentnounUS /əˈstɑːnɪʃmənt/

the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising

From this reading “Lord who?” said Phillip, in astonishment, as he turned his eyes, and beheld Captain Jack before him.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading “Lord who?” said Phillip, in astonishment, as he turned his eyes, and beheld Captain Jack before him.

beheldverbUS /biˈheld/

inflected form of “behold” — see with attention

From this reading “Lord who?” said Phillip, in astonishment, as he turned his eyes, and beheld Captain Jack before him.

CAPTAINnounUS /ˈkæptən/

an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant

From this reading CAPTAIN JACK PLAYS A TRUMP CARD—THE GAY COMPANY SURPRISED.

CARDnounUS /kɑːrd/

one of a set of small pieces of stiff paper marked in various ways and used for playing games or for telling fortunes

From this reading CAPTAIN JACK PLAYS A TRUMP CARD—THE GAY COMPANY SURPRISED.

chapternounUS /ˈtʃæptər/

a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled

From this reading As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.

COMPANYnounUS /ˈkʌmpəniː/

an institution created to conduct business

From this reading CAPTAIN JACK PLAYS A TRUMP CARD—THE GAY COMPANY SURPRISED.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading For a moment he knew not what to do or say.

domesticadjectiveUS /dəˈmestɪk/

of concern to or concerning the internal affairs of a nation

From this reading “Lord Smash and friends,” said the astonished domestic, announcing the stranger in a loud voice.

elegantlyadverbUS /ˈelɪɡəntliː/

with elegance; in a tastefully elegant manner

From this reading As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading “Lord who?” said Phillip, in astonishment, as he turned his eyes, and beheld Captain Jack before him.

fashionableadjectiveUS /ˈfæʃənəbəl/

being or in accordance with current social fashions

From this reading As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For a moment he knew not what to do or say.

friendsnounUS /frendz/

plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.

furnishedadjectiveUS /ˈfɜːrnɪʃt/

provided with whatever is necessary for a purpose (as furniture or equipment or authority)

From this reading As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.

GAYadjectiveUS /ɡeɪ/

bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer

From this reading CAPTAIN JACK PLAYS A TRUMP CARD—THE GAY COMPANY SURPRISED.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading “Lord who?” said Phillip, in astonishment, as he turned his eyes, and beheld Captain Jack before him.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading “Lord who?” said Phillip, in astonishment, as he turned his eyes, and beheld Captain Jack before him.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.

insistedverbUS /ˌɪnˈsɪstəd/

past form of “insist” — be emphatic or resolute and refuse to budge

From this reading As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.

JACKnounUS /dʒæk/

a small worthless amount

From this reading CAPTAIN JACK PLAYS A TRUMP CARD—THE GAY COMPANY SURPRISED.

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading For a moment he knew not what to do or say.

LordnounUS /lɔːrd/

terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God

From this reading “Lord Smash and friends,” said the astonished domestic, announcing the stranger in a loud voice.

loudadjectiveUS /laʊd/

characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity

From this reading “Lord Smash and friends,” said the astonished domestic, announcing the stranger in a loud voice.

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading For a moment he knew not what to do or say.

narratedverbUS /ˈnereɪtɪd/

past form of “narrate” — provide commentary for a film, for example

From this reading As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading For a moment he knew not what to do or say.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading For a moment he knew not what to do or say.

Phillip

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.

PLAYSnounUS /pleɪz/

plural of “play” — a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage

From this reading CAPTAIN JACK PLAYS A TRUMP CARD—THE GAY COMPANY SURPRISED.

previousadjectiveUS /ˈpriːviəs/

just preceding something else in time or order

From this reading As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.

Redgill's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.

roomsnounUS /ruːmz/

apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)

From this reading As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “Lord Smash and friends,” said the astonished domestic, announcing the stranger in a loud voice.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading For a moment he knew not what to do or say.

SmashverbUS /smæʃ/

hit hard

From this reading “Lord Smash and friends,” said the astonished domestic, announcing the stranger in a loud voice.

strangernounUS /ˈstreɪndʒər/

anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found

From this reading “Lord Smash and friends,” said the astonished domestic, announcing the stranger in a loud voice.

suitenounUS /swiːt/

a musical composition of several movements only loosely connected

From this reading As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.

SURPRISEDadjectiveUS /sərˈpraɪzd/

taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment

From this reading CAPTAIN JACK PLAYS A TRUMP CARD—THE GAY COMPANY SURPRISED.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading CAPTAIN JACK PLAYS A TRUMP CARD—THE GAY COMPANY SURPRISED.

themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.

thrustingnounUS /ˈθrʌstɪŋ/

a sharp hand gesture (resembling a blow)

From this reading As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading For a moment he knew not what to do or say.

TRUMPverbUS /trʌmp/

produce a sound as if from a trumpet

From this reading CAPTAIN JACK PLAYS A TRUMP CARD—THE GAY COMPANY SURPRISED.

turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/

moved around an axis or center

From this reading “Lord who?” said Phillip, in astonishment, as he turned his eyes, and beheld Captain Jack before him.

uninvitedadjectiveUS /ˌʌnɪnˈvaɪtɪd/

(of a thought or act) unwelcome or involuntary

From this reading As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading “Lord Smash and friends,” said the astonished domestic, announcing the stranger in a loud voice.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading As we have narrated in a previous chapter, Captain Jack and his friends insisted upon thrusting themselves uninvited upon the gay and fashionable company assembled in Phillip Redgill’s elegantly furnished suite of rooms.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading For a moment he knew not what to do or say.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading “Lord who?” said Phillip, in astonishment, as he turned his eyes, and beheld Captain Jack before him.

Chapter 13 of The skeleton crew by Anonymous holds 163 sentences, grouped into 33 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.

What does chapter 13 of The skeleton crew contain?

Chapter 13 holds 163 sentences of The skeleton crew, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 13 of The skeleton crew by Anonymous exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 163 sentences, grouped into 33 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.

How do I study chapter 13 of The skeleton crew?

Work through the 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 33 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.

Can chapter 13 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 13 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.

Questions about reading The skeleton crew

Common questions about reading The skeleton crew by Anonymous on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The skeleton crew?

Yes. All 10914 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #70734 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The skeleton crew is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #70734, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The skeleton crew take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2183 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The skeleton crew section by section

How to work through The skeleton crew section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of The skeleton crew to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The skeleton crew

Words and structures a reader meets early in The skeleton crew, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Italic
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The skeleton crew; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Displayed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The skeleton crew; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wildfire
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The skeleton crew; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Illustrated
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The skeleton crew; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.