Page 265 - the-trial

the main entrance, are we?” “No,” said the priest, “we’re a
long way from it. Do you already want to go?” K. had not
thought of going until then, but he immediately said, “Yes,
certainly, I have to go. I’m the chief clerk in a bank and there
are people waiting for me, I only came here to show a for-
eign business contact round the cathedral.” “Alright,” said
the priest offering him his hand, “go then.” “But I can’t find
my way round in this darkness by myself,” said K. “Go to
your left as far as the wall,” said the priest, “then continue
alongside the wall without leaving it and you’ll find a way
out.” The priest had only gone a few paces from him, but K.
was already shouting loudly, “Please, wait!” “I’m waiting,”
said the priest. “Is there anything else you want from me?”
asked K. “No,” said the priest. “You were so friendly to me
earlier on,” said K., “and you explained everything, but now
you abandon me as if I were nothing to you.” “You have to
go,” said the priest. “Well, yes,” said K., “you need to un-
derstand that.” “First, you need to understand who I am,”
said the priest. “You’re the prison chaplain,” said K., and
went closer to the priest, it was not so important for him to
go straight back to the bank as he had made out, he could
very well stay where he was. “So that means I belong to the
court,” said the priest. “So why would I want anything from
you? the court doesn’t want anything from you. It accepts
you when you come and it lets you go when you leave.”

The Trial