Page 87 - the-trial

fingers, his hair was dishevelled and hung down onto the
sweat on his forehead. But the defendant seemed to notice
nothing of what was going on and just stood there humbly,
as if wanting to apologise to the information-giver for being
there. The information-giver looked past him. “I know,” he
said, “that my case can’t be settled today, not yet, but I’ve
come in anyway, I thought, I thought I could wait here any-
way, it’s Sunday today, I’ve got plenty of time, and I’m not
disturbing anyone here.” “There’s no need to be so apolo-
getic,” said the information-giver, “it’s very commendable
for you to be so attentive. You are taking up space here when
you don’t need to but as long as you don’t get in my way I
will do nothing to stop you following the progress of your
case as closely as you like. When one has seen so many peo-
ple who shamefully neglect their cases one learns to show
patience with people like you. Do sit down.” “He’s very good
with the litigants,” whispered the girl. K. nodded, but start-
ed to move off again when the information-giver repeated,
“Would you not like to sit down here a while?” “No, “said
K., “I don’t want to rest.” He had said that with as decisively
as he could, but in fact it would have done him a lot of good
to sit down. It was as if he were suffering sea-sickness. He
felt as if he were on a ship in a rough sea, as if the water were
hitting against the wooden walls, a thundering from the
depths of the corridor as if the torrent were crashing over it,
as if the corridor were swaying and the waiting litigants on
each side of it rising and sinking. It made the calmness of
the girl and the man leading him all the more incompre-
hensible. He was at their mercy, if they let go of him he

The Trial