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           Thetrial’sbeenartificiallyconstrainedinsideatinycircle,andithastobecontinuouslyspunroundwithinit.Andthat,ofcourse,bringswithitcertainunpleasantnessesfortheaccused,althoughyoushouldn’timaginethey’reallthatbad.Allofthisisjustforshow,theinterrogations,forinstance,they’reonlyveryshort,ifyoueverdon’thavethetimeordon’tfeellikegoingtothemyoucanofferanexcuse,withsomejudgesyoucanevenarrangetheinjunctionstogetheralongtimeinadvance,inessenceallitmeansisthat,astheaccused,youhavetoreporttothejudgefromtimetotime."EvenwhilethepainterwasspeakingthoselastwordsK.hadlaidhiscoatoverhisarmandhadstoodup.Immediately,fromoutsidethedoor,therewasacryof"He’sstandingupnow!"."Areyouleavingalready?"askedthepainter,whohadalsostoodup."Itmustbetheairthat’sdrivingyouout.I’mverysorryaboutthat.There’sstillalotIneedtotellyou.IhadtoputeverythingverybrieflybutIhopeatleastitwasallclear.""Ohyes,"saidK.,whoseheadwasachingfromtheeffortoflistening.Despitethisaffirmationthepaintersummeditalluponcemore,asifhewantedtogiveK.somethingtoconsolehimonhiswayhome."Bothhaveincommonthattheypreventthedefendantbeingconvicted,"hesaid."Buttheyalsopreventhisbeingproperlyacquitted,"saidK.quietly,asifashamedtoacknowledgeit."You’vegotit,inessence,"saidthepainterquickly.K.