Превращение

           “Mother?”hissistercalledfromtheotherside.TheycommunicatedacrossGregor’sroom.“You’llhavetogoforthedoctorstraightaway.Gregorisill.Quick,getthedoctor.DidyouhearthewayGregorspokejustnow?”“Thatwasthevoiceofananimal”,saidthechiefclerk,withacalmnessthatwasincontrastwithhismother’sscreams.“Anna!Anna!”hisfathercalledintothekitchenthroughtheentrancehall,clappinghishands,“getalocksmithhere,now!”Andthetwogirls,theirskirtsswishing,immediatelyranoutthroughthehall,wrenchingopenthefrontdooroftheflatastheywent.Howhadhissistermanagedtogetdressedsoquickly?Therewasnosoundofthedoorbangingshutagain;theymusthaveleftitopen;peopleoftendoinhomeswheresomethingawfulhashappened.

           Gregor,incontrast,hadbecomemuchcalmer.Sotheycouldn’tunderstandhiswordsanymore,althoughtheyseemedclearenoughtohim,clearerthanbefore—perhapshisearshadbecomeusedtothesound.Theyhadrealised,though,thattherewassomethingwrongwithhim,andwerereadytohelp.Thefirstresponsetohissituationhadbeenconfidentandwise,andthatmadehimfeelbetter.Hefeltthathehadbeendrawnbackinamongpeople,andfromthedoctorandthelocksmithheexpectedgreatandsurprisingachievements—althoughhedidnotreallydistinguishonefromtheother.