Процес
The whip-man
hadnotbeenungenerous,hereallyhadwantedtogetthepolicemenfreed;ifhereallyhadnowbeguntodosomethingagainstthedegeneracyofthecourtthenitwasamatterofcoursethathewouldhavetodosomethinghereaswell.Butofcourse,itbecameimpossibleforhimtodoanythingassoonasFranzstartedscreaming.K.couldnotpossiblyhaveletthejuniorbankstaff,andperhapsevenallsortsofotherpeople,comealongandcatchhimbysurpriseashehaggledwiththosepeopleinthejunkroom.Nobodycouldreallyexpectthatsortofsacrificeofhim.Ifthathadbeenhisintentionthenitwouldalmosthavebeeneasier,K.wouldhavetakenhisownclothesoffandofferedhimselftothewhip-maninthepolicemen’splace.Thewhip-manwouldcertainlynothaveacceptedthissubstitutionanyway,asinthatwayhewouldhaveseriouslyviolatedhisdutywithoutgaininganybenefit.Hewouldmostlikelyhaveviolatedhisdutytwiceover,ascourtemployeeswereprobablyunderordersnottocauseanyharmtoK.whilehewasfacingcharges,althoughtheremayhavebeenspecialconditionsinforcehere.Howeverthingsstood,K.wasabletodonomorethanthrowthedoorshut,eventhoughthatwouldstilldonothingtoremoveallthedangershefaced.ItwasregrettablethathehadgivenFranzashove,anditcouldonlybeexcusedbytheheatofthemoment.
Inthedistance,heheardthestepsoftheservitors;hedidnotwantthemtobetooawareofhispresence,soheclosedthewindowandwalkedtowardsthemainstaircase.
