Book I: The Amphibians
The protagonist who wakes in a strange world and joins the amphibian expedition.
I: Of Place and Time
The narrator is the protagonist being recruited for the time experiment; he is skeptical but ultimately agrees to go.
II: The Empty Dawn
The protagonist who undergoes the experiment and arrives in a strange world at night, enduring hunger and fear before exploring at dawn.
III: Death?
The narrator rescues an amphibian, communicates telepathically, and feels both repulsion and kinship.
IV: The Opal Way
The narrator struggles with memory and fear, resolves to move forward, and successfully retrieves and samples a piece of the monster's tentacle.
V: The Invisible Bridge
The narrator examines the amphibian body, travels through the landscape, and falls into the chasm.
VI: The Frog-Mouths
The narrator crosses the invisible bridge, fights off the frog-mouths, and retreats into a tunnel.
VII: Capture
The narrator is captured, witnesses the giant's meal, escapes from the bag, and continues his descent down the spiral passage.
VIII: The Birds
The narrator emerges from the cave, observes the surface world, and continues his journey after reflecting on the subterranean civilization.
IX: The Tunnel of Fear
The narrator traverses the Tunnel of Fear, fighting off predatory pink worms and enduring extreme fatigue.
X: The Amphibians
Awakens wounded and hungry, communicates telepathically with the amphibians, and is given food.
XI: The Problem
The narrator questions his amphibian companion, learns about the world, and hurries to join the rescue troop.
XII: The March
The narrator struggles with exhaustion and fear during the march, receives energy from his amphibian companion, and contemplates his precarious situation with the Dwellers.
XIII: The Killers
Awakens in the golden forest, converses with a female amphibian, and agrees to aid the expedition unconditionally.
The Halt
The narrator converses with his amphibian companion, observes the landscape, and witnesses a creature stealing a puppy.
XV: The Plan of Attack
The narrator awakens, receives orders, and reflects on the plan of attack. He struggles with the Amphibians' non-violent methods and his own role in the rescue mission.
XVI: The Sentry
Pursues and attempts to kill the spy; struggles with the amphibian's mental silence afterward.
XVII: The Ethics of Violence
The narrator reflects on violence, law, and freedom, and finds a Browning pistol left by Templeton.
XVIII: The Arsenal of the Killers
The narrator leads the rescue mission, grappling with fear and strategic decisions, and reflects on his companion's critique of his reasoning.
XIX: The Duel in the Night
Fights and kills a Killer in the dark, communicates telepathically with his companion, and reflects on fear and ancient wisdom.
XX: The Bow
The narrator is wounded in the foot, receives care from the amphibian, and makes a lucky bow shot that scatters the Killers.
XXI: The Bat-Wings
Wakes and listens to his companion's account; reflects on the nature of body and existence.
Night in the Arsenal
The narrator spends the night in the arsenal explaining the social and legal systems of his world to his companion, reflecting on the oppression of laws and taxation.
XXIII: The Escape
Exhausted and defiant, refuses the Amphibian Leader's orders, insists on fighting the Killers.
XXIV: The Fight in the Arsenal
Exhausted and repairing his rags, he discusses plans with his companion and examines the floor for traps.
XXV: The Forbidden Thing
The narrator attempts to create fire for defense, disregarding the companion's warnings, and inadvertently causes a catastrophic blaze.
XXVI: The Trial
The narrator hesitates, loses his axe and bow, and is reluctant to kill the Bat-wings; he agrees to act as judge in their trial.
XXVII: The Verdict
Acts as judge, interrogates the amphibians, and delivers the final verdict.
XXVIII: The Fate of the Killers
Hides in a cliff crevice with the companion, observes the Dwellers' actions and the Amphibians' arrival, struggles to suppress thoughts.
Book II: The World Below
The narrator explores the world below, observing and interacting with its inhabitants.
I: Counsel
The narrator wakes from exhaustion, suffers from wounds and depression, and relies heavily on his companion for counsel and strength.
II: The Unknown Way
The narrator struggles with physical weakness, blindness in absolute darkness, and relies on the amphibian's mental guidance to traverse the unknown terrain.
III: The Peril of the Lake
The narrator swims across the lake, struggling with fatigue and fear of the creatures below, while trying to prove his capability to his companion.
IV: The Silence in the Wood
The narrator wakes, eats fruit, and decides to go forward despite fear; he struggles against the psychic pressure of the wood.
V: The Temple
The narrator guides the companion through the temple, shares her sight, and struggles with exhaustion and indecision about whether to descend into the tunnel.
VI: The Downward Path
The narrator debates with his companion about her duty, releases her from her promise, and then proceeds with her through the Dwellers' tunnels, choosing a path and pushing through a resisting force.
VII: The Living Book
Observes the Dweller woman and receives explanation about the living book from his companion.
VIII: The Treaty
Reads the treaty, fears for his life, and argues with his companion about human ethics and the Dwellers' intentions.
IX: The Flame of Life
Persists in questioning the book despite the companion's warnings, driven by the need to find his friend.
X: Visions
Wakes from sleep, observes the wall visions, and reflects on the scenes and their implications.
XI: War
The narrator observes the Dwellers' library and receives explanations about the war from the amphibian companion.
XII: The Fate of Templeton
The narrator witnesses Templeton's vivisection and grapples with his own moral repulsion, ultimately deciding to continue searching for his friend despite fear.
XIII: Separation
The narrator is left alone after his companion negotiates their separation, feeling loneliness and despair.
XIV: Love and War
The narrator is captured and held in pincers in the laboratory, observing the war's toll and the defiant woman.
Release
The narrator undergoes a painful transformation and is released to the Seekers of Wisdom, where he defends his civilization.
Return
Returns physically changed—hairless, with a younger, more virile face and altered eyes—and struggles to convey his experiences.
