Chapter XI begins in the grim interior of the Mahars’ domain, where the protagonist finds himself dragged before the ruling class for questioning. These creatures, cold-blooded and intellectually dominant, refuse to believe his claims about the surface world. They view him as a liar or lunatic and dismiss his story as a deliberate offense. As punishment, he is sentenced to vivisection—a gruesome fate designed not only to dissect his body but to break his spirit. Among other captives, he is chained and helpless, forced to watch the brutal experimentation inflicted on fellow humans. These scenes are rendered with chilling clarity, marking a turning point in the protagonist’s mindset. Terror gives way to clarity: escape is the only option left.

Fate offers a slender thread of hope when a distracted Mahar drops a tiny surgical implement within his reach. With painstaking care, he uses it to unlock the shackles binding his wrists. The act demands stillness and focus, as any noise might alert the guards. After freeing himself, he silently slinks into the dim passageways of the subterranean complex. The scent of chemicals and blood trails him as he presses forward. Each turn becomes a gamble, but fortune favors the bold. He soon recognizes an area near the place of his original capture, which tells him he’s not far from where Perry and Ghak are likely held. This realization sparks a renewed determination. He now has a purpose beyond survival—he must find them and execute a joint escape.

With precise steps, he retraces parts of his earlier path until he finds his allies. They work together to create makeshift disguises from discarded skins—materials once used for experiments or rituals. Wearing these grotesque cloaks, they blend in just enough to move undetected. The deception grants them mobility, but the cost is high; every moment beneath the Mahars’ noses could be their last. Soon, the group must split. The protagonist volunteers to perform the most dangerous task: infiltrate the sleeping chamber of the Mahars to retrieve a powerful secret. Perry had hinted at its value—knowledge that could shift the balance of power in Pellucidar. With that goal in mind, he slips away alone, armed only with resolve.

Upon entering the grand chamber, the protagonist observes the Mahars at rest in a trance-like sleep. Their breathing is shallow, and their eyelids twitch as if caught in some unnatural dream state. He approaches, heart pounding, ready to strike. Yet, just as he prepares to carry out the mission, two Mahars awaken. A frantic struggle ensues. He fights with whatever he can grab—stones, tools, and even his bare hands—driven by the raw need to live. The skirmish ends with both creatures slain, their bodies crumpled in silence. Bloodied and shaken, he presses forward into an adjoining room, where he stumbles across the legendary secret: a large tome wrapped in exotic hide and resting atop a strange pedestal. The book seems to radiate importance, and he quickly realizes this is the very object Perry had spoken of.

The chamber hums with hidden energy, its walls covered in glyphs and scientific diagrams. What he has found is not just a book, but a manual—possibly a guide to the Mahars’ control over the other species. He tucks the artifact under his arm, but the weight of his actions starts to mount. Killing the Mahars has not gone unnoticed, and the time he has left to escape is narrowing rapidly. The path back is uncertain. What was once a maze is now a death trap, primed to collapse upon him. Still, he moves with purpose, his footsteps quickened by urgency. He knows that returning empty-handed would mean more than failure—it would mean leaving Pellucidar in the Mahars’ grip forever.

As he navigates toward the agreed meeting point, the protagonist senses that every corridor hides new danger. Alarm calls begin to echo faintly through the stone halls, and the sleeping city stirs. His disguise offers little protection now, especially with the stolen book clutched to his chest. The future of their resistance, their hope for freedom, hinges on the knowledge he carries. If he can make it back to Perry and Ghak, they might finally have a chance to resist the Mahars not with brute strength, but with strategy and understanding. His mission, though fraught with peril, reflects the broader transformation within him—from a man caught in circumstance to a leader shaping it. The chapter leaves him on the brink of revelation and danger, underscoring the cost of truth in a world where power is guarded by monsters.