Процес
Lawyer - Manufacturer - Painter
’sdocuments,whichheknewnothingabout,butatajokehehadjustheardaboutthestock-exchange,ajokewhichneededanillustrationifitwastobeunderstood,andnowthedeputy-directorleantoverK.’sdesk,tookhispencilfromhishand,anddrewtheillustrationonthewritingpadthatK.hadintendedforhisideasabouthiscase.
K.nowhadnomorethoughtsofshame,thedocumentshadtobepreparedandsubmitted.If,aswasverylikely,hecouldfindnotimetodoitintheofficehewouldhavetodoitathomeatnight.Ifthenightsweren’tenoughhewouldhavetotakeaholiday.Aboveall,hecouldnotstophalfway,thatwasnonsensenotonlyinbusinessbutalwaysandeverywhere.Needlesstosay,thedocumentswouldmeananalmostendlessamountofwork.Itwaseasytocometothebelief,notonlyforthoseofananxiousdisposition,thatitwasimpossibleevertofinishit.Thiswasnotbecauseoflazinessordeceit,whichweretheonlythingsthatmighthavehinderedthelawyerinpreparingit,butbecausehedidnotknowwhatthechargewasorevenwhatconsequencesitmightbring,sothathehadtoremembereverytinyactionandeventfromthewholeofhislife,lookingatthemfromallsidesandcheckingandreconsideringthem.Itwasalsoaverydishearteningjob.Itwouldhavebeenmoresuitableasawayofpassingthelongdaysafterhehadretiredandbecomesenile.Butnow,justwhenK.
