do make your phone call." "No, I don't want to any more," said K., and
went over to the window. Across the street, the people were still there
at the window, and it was only now that K. had gone up to his window
that they seemed to become uneasy about quietly watching what was going
on. The old couple wanted to get up but the man behind them calmed them
down. "We've got some kind of audience over there," called K. to the
supervisor, quite loudly, as he pointed out with his forefinger. "Go
away," he then called across to them. And the three of them did
immediately retreat a few steps, the old pair even found themselves
behind the man who then concealed them with the breadth of his body and
seemed, going by the movements of his mouth, to be saying something
incomprehensible into the distance. They did not disappear entirely,
though, but seemed to be waiting for the moment when they could come
back to the window without being noticed. "Intrusive, thoughtless
people!" said K. as he turned back into the room. The supervisor may
have agreed with him, at least K. thought that was what he saw from the
corner of his eye. But it was just as possible that he had not even been
listening as he had his hand pressed firmly down on the table and seemed
to be comparing the length of his fingers. The two policemen were
sitting on a chest covered with a coloured blanket, rubbing their knees.
The three young people had put their hands on their hips and were
looking round aimlessly. Everything was still, like in some office that
has been forgotten about. "Now, gentlemen," called out K., and for a
moment it seemed as if he was carrying all of them on his shoulders, "it
looks like your business with me is over with. In my opinion, it's best
now to stop wondering about whether you're proceeding correctly or
incorrectly, and to bring the matter to a peaceful close with a mutual
handshake. If you are of the same opinion, then please...." and he
walked up to the supervisor's desk and held out his hand to him. The
supervisor raised his eyes, bit his lip and looked at K.'s outstretched
hand; K. still believed the supervisor would do as he suggested. But
instead, he stood up, picked up a hard round hat that was laying on
Miss Bürstner's bed and put it carefully onto his head, using both hands
as if trying on a new hat. "Everything seems so simple to you, doesn't
it," he said to K. as he did so, "so you think we should bring the
matter to a peaceful close, do you? No, no, that won't do. Mind you, on
the other hand I certainly wouldn't want you to think there's no hope
for you. No, why should you think that? You're simply under arrest,
nothing more than that. That's what I had to tell you, that's what I've
done and now I've seen how you've taken it. That's enough for one day
and we can take our leave of each other, for the time being at least. I
expect you'll want to go in to the bank now, won't you?" "In to the
bank?" asked K., "I thought I was under arrest." K.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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