Превращение
I
Butyou,sir,youhaveabetteroverviewthantherestofthestaff,infact,ifIcansaythisinconfidence,abetteroverviewthanthebosshimself—it’sveryeasyforabusinessmanlikehimtomakemistakesabouthisemployeesandjudgethemmoreharshlythanheshould.Andyou’realsowellawarethatwetravellersspendalmostthewholeyearawayfromtheoffice,sothatwecanveryeasilyfallvictimtogossipandchanceandgroundlesscomplaints,andit’salmostimpossibletodefendyourselffromthatsortofthing,wedon’tusuallyevenhearaboutthem,orifatallit’swhenwearrivebackhomeexhaustedfromatrip,andthat’swhenwefeeltheharmfuleffectsofwhat’sbeengoingonwithoutevenknowingwhatcausedthem.Please,don’tgoaway,atleastfirstsaysomethingtoshowthatyougrantthatI’matleastpartlyright!”
ButthechiefclerkhadturnedawayassoonasGregorhadstartedtospeak,and,withprotrudinglips,onlystaredbackathimoverhistremblingshouldersasheleft.HedidnotkeepstillforamomentwhileGregorwasspeaking,butmovedsteadilytowardsthedoorwithouttakinghiseyesoffhim.Hemovedverygradually,asiftherehadbeensomesecretprohibitiononleavingtheroom.Itwasonlywhenhehadreachedtheentrancehallthathemadeasuddenmovement,drewhisfootfromthelivingroom,andrushedforwardinapanic.Inthehall,hestretchedhisrighthandfarouttowardsthestairwayasifoutthere,thereweresomesupernaturalforcewaitingtosavehim.
