A special train carries Axis legation families from Washington, DC, to West Virginia. The narrative follows Hannelore Wolfe, the 10-year-old nonverbal daughter of a German diplomat, who counts in her head to manage fear. She travels with her parents, Friedrich, a cultural attaché, and Sabine. Friedrich briefly confers with Lothar Liebe, a German official. When the train arrives, officers and guards order the men to walk to the hotel while women and children ride in cars. Guards confront Hungarian passengers until Friedrich intervenes.

On the walk, Friedrich asks Hannelore to sing a coded tune for Dr. Otto Kirsch, a Nazi party physician, and for Lothar. Hannelore instead focuses on her terrier, Citizen. Exploring the grounds, she finds a large snail on a warm patch of moss; touching it, she feels a rush of joy. Hotel staff welcome her with refreshments and a scavenger hunt kit for the Avallon’s 600 decorative snails, including a small glass one. As she holds it, she notices a severe woman with three dachshunds watching from a distance.

The point of view shifts to June Hudson as she oversees check-in for the German, Japanese, and Italian families.