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- 2026-01-28T17:34:53.070Z
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- at your desk, talking down at your subordinates from up there,
especially when you have to go right up close because the boss is hard
of hearing. Well, there’s still some hope; once I’ve got the money
together to pay off my parents’ debt to him—another five or six years I
suppose—that’s definitely what I’ll do. That’s when I’ll make the big
change. First of all though, I’ve got to get up, my train leaves at
five.”
And he looked over at the alarm clock, ticking on the chest of drawers.
“God in Heaven!” he thought. It was half past six and the hands were
quietly moving forwards, it was even later than half past, more like
quarter to seven. Had the alarm clock not rung? He could see from the
bed that it had been set for four o’clock as it should have been; it
certainly must have rung. Yes, but was it possible to quietly sleep
through that furniture-rattling noise? True, he had not slept
peacefully, but probably all the more deeply because of that. What
should he do now? The next train went at seven; if he were to catch
that he would have to rush like mad and the collection of samples was
still not packed, and he did not at all feel particularly fresh and
lively. And even if he did catch the train he would not avoid his
boss’s anger as the office assistant would have been there to see the
five o’clock train go, he would have put in his report about Gregor’s
not being there a long time ago. The office assistant was the boss’s
man, spineless, and with no understanding. What about if he reported
sick? But that would be extremely strained and suspicious as in five
years of service Gregor had never once yet been ill. His boss would
certainly come round with the doctor from the medical insurance
company, accuse his parents of having a lazy son, and accept the
doctor’s recommendation not to make any claim as the doctor believed
that no-one was ever ill but that many were workshy. And what’s more,
would he have been entirely wrong in this case? Gregor did in fact,
apart from excessive sleepiness after sleeping for so long, feel
completely well and even felt much hungrier than usual.
He was still hurriedly thinking all this through, unable to decide to
get out of the bed, when the clock struck quarter to seven. There was a
cautious knock at the door near his head. “Gregor”, somebody called—it
was his mother—“it’s quarter to seven. Didn’t you want to go
somewhere?” That gentle voice! Gregor was shocked when he heard his own
voice answering, it could hardly be recognised as the voice he had had
before. As if from deep inside him, there was a painful and
uncontrollable squeaking mixed in with it, the words could be made out
at first but then there was a sort of echo which made them unclear,
leaving the hearer unsure whether he had heard properly or not. Gregor
had wanted to give a full answer and explain everything, but in the
circumstances contented himself with saying: “Yes, mother, yes,
thank-you, I’m getting up now.” The change in Gregor’s voice probably
could not be noticed outside through the wooden door, as his mother was
satisfied with this explanation and shuffled away. But this short
conversation made the other members of the family aware that Gregor,
against their expectations was still at home, and soon his father came
knocking at one of the side doors, gently, but with his fist. “Gregor,
Gregor”, he called, “what’s wrong?” And after a short while he called
again with a warning deepness in his voice: “Gregor! Gregor!” At the
other side door his sister came plaintively: “Gregor? Aren’t you well?
Do you need anything?” Gregor answered to both sides: “I’m ready, now”,
making an effort to remove all the strangeness from his voice by
enunciating very carefully and putting long pauses between each,
individual word. His father went back to his breakfast, but his sister
whispered: “Gregor, open the door, I beg of you.” Gregor, however, had
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- Chunk 2