Page 88 - the-trial

would fall like a board. Their little eyes glanced here and
there, K. could feel the evenness of their steps but could not
do the same, as from step to step he was virtually being car-
ried. He finally noticed they were speaking to him but he
did not understand them, all he heard was a noise that filled
all the space and through which there seemed to be an un-
changing higher note sounding, like a siren. “Louder,” he
whispered with his head sunk low, ashamed at having to ask
them to speak louder when he knew they had spoken loudly
enough, even if it had been, for him, incomprehensible. At
last, a draught of cool air blew in his face as if a gap had been
torn out in the wall in front of him, and next to him he
heard someone say, “First he says he wants to go, and then
you can tell him a hundred times that this is the way out
and he doesn’t move.” K. became aware that he was stand-
ing in front of the way out, and that the young woman had
opened the door. It seemed to him that all his strength re-
turned to him at once, and to get a foretaste of freedom he
stepped straight on to one of the stairs and took his leave
there of his companions, who bowed to him. “Thank you
very much,” he repeated, shook their hands once more and
did not let go until he thought he saw that they found it hard
to bear the comparatively fresh air from the stairway after
being so long used to the air in the offices. They were hardly
able to reply, and the young woman might even have fallen
over if K. had not shut the door extremely fast. K. then stood
still for a while, combed his hair with the help of a pocket
mirror, picked up his hat from the next stair the informa-
tion-giver must have thrown it down there and then he ran