Metamorphosis | Page 2

time ago,
I'd have gone up to the boss and told him just what I think, tell him
everything I would, let him know just what I feel. He'd fall right off his
desk! And it's a funny sort of business to be sitting up there 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 fifteen 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 no thought of opening the door, and
instead congratulated himself for his cautious habit, acquired from his
travelling, of locking all doors at night even when he was at home.
The first thing he wanted to do was to get up in peace without being
disturbed, to get dressed, and most of all to