Chapter 2 of Thin Edge is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Thin Edge is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Tarnhorst sat down and folded his hands. He looked down at them as if he were really interested in the flat, unfaceted diamond, engraved with the Tarnhorst arms, that gleamed on the ring on his finger. "A little glass of whiskey wouldn't hurt much, Sam," he said, looking up from his hands. He smiled. "As you say, there isn't much to worry about now.
Chapter 2 of Thin Edge is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
a transparent piece of diamond that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gem
From this reading “He looked down at them as if he were really interested in the flat, unfaceted diamond, engraved with the Tarnhorst arms, that gleamed on the ring on his finger.”
cut or impressed into a surface
From this reading “He looked down at them as if he were really interested in the flat, unfaceted diamond, engraved with the Tarnhorst arms, that gleamed on the ring on his finger.”
feel or handle with the fingers
From this reading “He looked down at them as if he were really interested in the flat, unfaceted diamond, engraved with the Tarnhorst arms, that gleamed on the ring on his finger.”
having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another
From this reading “He looked down at them as if he were really interested in the flat, unfaceted diamond, engraved with the Tarnhorst arms, that gleamed on the ring on his finger.”
past form of “fold” — bend or lay so that one part covers the other
From this reading “Tarnhorst sat down and folded his hands.”
past form of “gleam” — be shiny, as if wet
From this reading “He looked down at them as if he were really interested in the flat, unfaceted diamond, engraved with the Tarnhorst arms, that gleamed on the ring on his finger.”
a liquor made from fermented mash of grain
From this reading “"A little glass of whiskey wouldn't hurt much, Sam," he said, looking up from his hands.”
be worried, concerned, anxious, troubled, or uneasy
From this reading “"As you say, there isn't much to worry about now.”
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 “He looked down at them as if he were really interested in the flat, unfaceted diamond, engraved with the Tarnhorst arms, that gleamed on the ring on his finger.”
In this reading “He looked down at them as if he were really interested in the flat, unfaceted diamond, engraved with the Tarnhorst arms, that gleamed on the ring on his finger.”
In this reading “He looked down at them as if he were really interested in the flat, unfaceted diamond, engraved with the Tarnhorst arms, that gleamed on the ring on his finger.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "A little glass of whiskey wouldn't hurt much, Sam," he said, looking up from his hands.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "As you say, there isn't much to worry about now.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Tarnhorst sat down and folded his hands.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading He looked down at them as if he were really interested in the flat, unfaceted diamond, engraved with the Tarnhorst arms, that gleamed on the ring on his finger.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He looked down at them as if he were really interested in the flat, unfaceted diamond, engraved with the Tarnhorst arms, that gleamed on the ring on his finger.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He looked down at them as if he were really interested in the flat, unfaceted diamond, engraved with the Tarnhorst arms, that gleamed on the ring on his finger.
a transparent piece of diamond that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gem
From this reading He looked down at them as if he were really interested in the flat, unfaceted diamond, engraved with the Tarnhorst arms, that gleamed on the ring on his finger.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Tarnhorst sat down and folded his hands.
cut or impressed into a surface
From this reading He looked down at them as if he were really interested in the flat, unfaceted diamond, engraved with the Tarnhorst arms, that gleamed on the ring on his finger.
feel or handle with the fingers
From this reading He looked down at them as if he were really interested in the flat, unfaceted diamond, engraved with the Tarnhorst arms, that gleamed on the ring on his finger.
having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another
From this reading He looked down at them as if he were really interested in the flat, unfaceted diamond, engraved with the Tarnhorst arms, that gleamed on the ring on his finger.
past form of “fold” — bend or lay so that one part covers the other
From this reading Tarnhorst sat down and folded his hands.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "A little glass of whiskey wouldn't hurt much, Sam," he said, looking up from his hands.
a brittle transparent solid with irregular atomic structure
From this reading "A little glass of whiskey wouldn't hurt much, Sam," he said, looking up from his hands.
past form of “gleam” — be shiny, as if wet
From this reading He looked down at them as if he were really interested in the flat, unfaceted diamond, engraved with the Tarnhorst arms, that gleamed on the ring on his finger.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading Tarnhorst sat down and folded his hands.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He looked down at them as if he were really interested in the flat, unfaceted diamond, engraved with the Tarnhorst arms, that gleamed on the ring on his finger.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Tarnhorst sat down and folded his hands.
be the source of pain
From this reading "A little glass of whiskey wouldn't hurt much, Sam," he said, looking up from his hands.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading He looked down at them as if he were really interested in the flat, unfaceted diamond, engraved with the Tarnhorst arms, that gleamed on the ring on his finger.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He looked down at them as if he were really interested in the flat, unfaceted diamond, engraved with the Tarnhorst arms, that gleamed on the ring on his finger.
having or showing interest; especially curiosity or fascination or concern
From this reading He looked down at them as if he were really interested in the flat, unfaceted diamond, engraved with the Tarnhorst arms, that gleamed on the ring on his finger.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "As you say, there isn't much to worry about now.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "A little glass of whiskey wouldn't hurt much, Sam," he said, looking up from his hands.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading He looked down at them as if he were really interested in the flat, unfaceted diamond, engraved with the Tarnhorst arms, that gleamed on the ring on his finger.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading "A little glass of whiskey wouldn't hurt much, Sam," he said, looking up from his hands.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading "A little glass of whiskey wouldn't hurt much, Sam," he said, looking up from his hands.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "As you say, there isn't much to worry about now.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "A little glass of whiskey wouldn't hurt much, Sam," he said, looking up from his hands.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He looked down at them as if he were really interested in the flat, unfaceted diamond, engraved with the Tarnhorst arms, that gleamed on the ring on his finger.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading He looked down at them as if he were really interested in the flat, unfaceted diamond, engraved with the Tarnhorst arms, that gleamed on the ring on his finger.
sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading He looked down at them as if he were really interested in the flat, unfaceted diamond, engraved with the Tarnhorst arms, that gleamed on the ring on his finger.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "A little glass of whiskey wouldn't hurt much, Sam," he said, looking up from his hands.
a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target
From this reading "A little glass of whiskey wouldn't hurt much, Sam," he said, looking up from his hands.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Tarnhorst sat down and folded his hands.
express in words
From this reading "As you say, there isn't much to worry about now.
past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading He smiled.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Tarnhorst sat down and folded his hands.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He looked down at them as if he were really interested in the flat, unfaceted diamond, engraved with the Tarnhorst arms, that gleamed on the ring on his finger.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He looked down at them as if he were really interested in the flat, unfaceted diamond, engraved with the Tarnhorst arms, that gleamed on the ring on his finger.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading He looked down at them as if he were really interested in the flat, unfaceted diamond, engraved with the Tarnhorst arms, that gleamed on the ring on his finger.
in or at that place or location
From this reading "As you say, there isn't much to worry about now.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "As you say, there isn't much to worry about now.
lacking facets
From this reading He looked down at them as if he were really interested in the flat, unfaceted diamond, engraved with the Tarnhorst arms, that gleamed on the ring on his finger.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "A little glass of whiskey wouldn't hurt much, Sam," he said, looking up from his hands.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He looked down at them as if he were really interested in the flat, unfaceted diamond, engraved with the Tarnhorst arms, that gleamed on the ring on his finger.
a liquor made from fermented mash of grain
From this reading "A little glass of whiskey wouldn't hurt much, Sam," he said, looking up from his hands.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He looked down at them as if he were really interested in the flat, unfaceted diamond, engraved with the Tarnhorst arms, that gleamed on the ring on his finger.
be worried, concerned, anxious, troubled, or uneasy
From this reading "As you say, there isn't much to worry about now.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "A little glass of whiskey wouldn't hurt much, Sam," he said, looking up from his hands.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "As you say, there isn't much to worry about now.
Chapter 2 of Thin Edge by Randall Garrett holds 410 sentences, grouped into 82 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 2 holds 410 sentences of Thin Edge, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Thin Edge by Randall Garrett exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 410 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 2 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 Thin Edge by Randall Garrett on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 828 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #30869 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #30869, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 69 minutes of reading across 166 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Thin Edge section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 2 chapters of Thin Edge 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 Thin Edge, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
