The Manhunt and the Safe Passage

This flow traces the Gray Men's pursuit of Momo and the unusual route that carries her beyond their reach.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

An Empty Room

An Empty Room Search at the Amphitheater The Gray Men search the amphitheater and Momo's underground room, but she has already left with the Tortoise. The agents find signs of disturbance without discovering where she went. Their uncertainty makes the search more urgent. Momo is no longer merely a child who knows their secret; she has become a target they intend to remove.

Beppo Seeks Help

Beppo Seeks Help A Warning Arrives Too Late Beppo reaches the amphitheater, sees the tire tracks, and finds Momo's room in disarray. He tells Guido what he saw and fears that the Gray Men have taken her. Guido initially tries to explain away the evidence as a possible misunderstanding. Beppo's alarm is justified, but the two friends cannot yet agree on what action is safe.

A Hunt Across the City

A Hunt Across the City Pursuers and the Tortoise The Gray Men deploy agents across streets, transit routes, and public buildings. Momo follows the Tortoise through the city, often passing through spaces where pursuers arrive only moments too late. The Tortoise's foreknowledge gives the pair a route through danger without requiring speed. The hunters' organization is vast, but it cannot match the creature's precise knowledge of the next half hour.

The District at the Edge

The District at the Edge A Different Order of Time Momo and the Tortoise reach the District of White Houses, where light and shadows behave strangely and the agents' cars cannot advance. The pursuers try to run but make almost no progress. This district's altered temporal rules defeat the Gray Men's ordinary methods. Their dependence on haste becomes a liability where slower movement brings a traveler farther.

The Lane to Safety

The Lane to Safety Backward Through Never Lane Momo cannot advance down Never Lane until she walks backward. She reaches Nowhere House and enters just before the Gray Men can reach her. The strange route brings her to Professor Hora's protection, but the pursuit is not over. Her arrival gives the Gray Men a new reason to study the house and plan another approach.

the night after the garbage-dump trial

later that night

during the night after Momo leaves the amphitheater

near dawn during the escape

at the end of Momo's first journey