Chapter 2 of Wandl the Invader is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Wandl the Invader is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The palpitating thing sank down in the box and the lid dropped. And upon our horrified gaze the insulated door of the room slid too. "By the gods!" exclaimed Halsey. "One of them dares come to the Red Spark. Here, almost in public."
Chapter 2 of Wandl the Invader is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 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.
plural of “dare” — a challenge to do something dangerous or foolhardy
From this reading “"One of them dares come to the Red Spark.”
stricken with horror
From this reading “And upon our horrified gaze the insulated door of the room slid too.”
past form of “insulate” — protect from heat, cold, or noise by surrounding with insulating material
From this reading “And upon our horrified gaze the insulated door of the room slid too.”
either of two folds of skin that can be moved to cover or open the eye
From this reading “The palpitating thing sank down in the box and the lid dropped.”
having a slight and rapid trembling motion
From this reading “The palpitating thing sank down in the box and the lid dropped.”
inflected form of “sink” — fall or descend to a lower place or level
From this reading “The palpitating thing sank down in the box and the lid dropped.”
inflected form of “slide” — move obliquely or sideways, usually in an uncontrolled manner
From this reading “And upon our horrified gaze the insulated door of the room slid too.”
a momentary flash of light
From this reading “"One of them dares come to the Red Spark.”
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.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Here, almost in public."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The palpitating thing sank down in the box and the lid dropped.
a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid
From this reading The palpitating thing sank down in the box and the lid dropped.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "By the gods!" exclaimed Halsey.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "One of them dares come to the Red Spark.
plural of “dare” — a challenge to do something dangerous or foolhardy
From this reading "One of them dares come to the Red Spark.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading And upon our horrified gaze the insulated door of the room slid too.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The palpitating thing sank down in the box and the lid dropped.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading The palpitating thing sank down in the box and the lid dropped.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading "By the gods!" exclaimed Halsey.
a long fixed look
From this reading And upon our horrified gaze the insulated door of the room slid too.
plural of “god” — the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading "By the gods!" exclaimed Halsey.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "By the gods!" exclaimed Halsey.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Here, almost in public."
stricken with horror
From this reading And upon our horrified gaze the insulated door of the room slid too.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The palpitating thing sank down in the box and the lid dropped.
past form of “insulate” — protect from heat, cold, or noise by surrounding with insulating material
From this reading And upon our horrified gaze the insulated door of the room slid too.
either of two folds of skin that can be moved to cover or open the eye
From this reading The palpitating thing sank down in the box and the lid dropped.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading And upon our horrified gaze the insulated door of the room slid too.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "One of them dares come to the Red Spark.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading And upon our horrified gaze the insulated door of the room slid too.
having a slight and rapid trembling motion
From this reading The palpitating thing sank down in the box and the lid dropped.
people in general considered as a whole
From this reading Here, almost in public."
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading "One of them dares come to the Red Spark.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading And upon our horrified gaze the insulated door of the room slid too.
inflected form of “sink” — fall or descend to a lower place or level
From this reading The palpitating thing sank down in the box and the lid dropped.
inflected form of “slide” — move obliquely or sideways, usually in an uncontrolled manner
From this reading And upon our horrified gaze the insulated door of the room slid too.
a momentary flash of light
From this reading "One of them dares come to the Red Spark.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The palpitating thing sank down in the box and the lid dropped.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading "One of them dares come to the Red Spark.
a special situation
From this reading The palpitating thing sank down in the box and the lid dropped.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "One of them dares come to the Red Spark.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading And upon our horrified gaze the insulated door of the room slid too.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading And upon our horrified gaze the insulated door of the room slid too.
Chapter 2 of Wandl the Invader by Ray Cummings holds 413 sentences, grouped into 83 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 413 sentences of Wandl the Invader, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Wandl the Invader by Ray Cummings exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 413 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 Wandl the Invader by Ray Cummings on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4555 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #20859 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #20859, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 379 minutes of reading across 911 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Wandl the Invader section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of Wandl the Invader 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 Wandl the Invader, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
