Hannelore Wolfe methodically searched the Avallon for its famed hidden snail motifs, keeping extensive lists and postponing her lemon-drop reward until she found all 600. Sabine Wolfe interrupted to take Hannelore shopping, despite Hannelore’s aversion to the arcade’s noise and crowds. Before they left, Sabine asked Friedrich Wolfe to learn the truth about departure rumors, and Friedrich agreed to speak with Lothar Liebe.

Shopping, joined by Frau Hof, became an ordeal for Hannelore, who coped by counting seconds. The women bought rationed goods (nylons, nails, rubber bands, soap, shoes, vitamins) amid mutual disdain with a trio of Japanese women. In the elevator, Sabine thanked the operator for discretion, implying sensitive conversation. In the hall, Sabine probed Hannelore about staying in America and then about remaining alone temporarily, hinting the adults might leave. The suggestion distressed Hannelore.

When Hannelore resumed her air drawing, Sabine grabbed her wrist to stop her, an unusual physical correction that made Hannelore realize she had committed “Poor Behavior.” Hannelore began to hit herself as self-punishment. Back at the suite, Friedrich tried to stop her, which escalated the episode into loud, rigid screams. Sabine complained that barbiturates had been confiscated, and Friedrich blamed the general manager for taking Dr. Otto Kirsch’s sedatives, though he also admitted disliking their use.

Friedrich warned that Lothar was on his way and pressed the urgency of appearances. As Hannelore continued, Sabine and Friedrich argued in low voices in the sitting room about strategy, blacklisting, and “misplaced optimism.” Friedrich stated that Lothar had heard Hannelore sing and that she was the only way “they” would get what they wanted, while Sabine asked what would happen after that; Friedrich admitted he did not know.

On the floor by the balcony doors, Hannelore’s cheek touched a damp doormat that smelled of mineral hot springs, and the sensation abruptly calmed her. Sabine noticed the moisture and suspected a leak. Hannelore fixated on the balcony’s mountain lion–headed font and entertained the idea that its water carried meaning only she could perceive, reflecting her struggle to distinguish wonder from horror. She also recalled seeing June Hudson and feeling a powerful impression of who a woman could be.

A knock interrupted them. Friedrich opened the door to Lothar Liebe, confirming his anticipated arrival in the midst of Hannelore’s episode and the parents’ fraught debate.