be more in accordance with the regulations too—he could easily send an undersecretary and let him draw up statements. Still, he usually refused to do this, he wanted to see and hear everything for himself, but for this purpose he had to sacrifice his nights, for in his official timetable there was no time allowed for journeys to the village. K. objected that even Klamm came to the village during the day and even stayed for several days; was Erlanger, then, a mere secretary, more indispensable up there? One or two laughed good-humouredly, others maintained an embarrassed silence, the latter gained the ascendancy, and K. received hardly any reply. Only one man replied hesitatingly, that of course Klamm was indispensable, in the Castle as in the village.
Then the front door opened and Momus appeared between two attendants carrying lamps. “The first who will be admitted to Herr Elanger,” he said, “are Gerstäcker and K. Are these two men here?” They reported themselves, but before they could step forward Jeremiah slipped in with a “I’m a waiter here,” and, greeted by Momus with a smiling slap on the shoulder, disappeared inside. “I’ll have to keep a sharper eye on Jeremiah,” K. told himself, though he was quite aware at the same time that Jeremiah was probably far less dangerous than Arthur who was working against him in the Castle. Perhaps it would actually have been wiser to let himself be annoyed by them as assistants, than to have them prowling about without supervision and allow them to carry on their intrigues in freedom, intrigues for which they seemed to have special facilities.
As K. was passing Momus the latter started as if only now did he recognise in him the Land Surveyor. “Ah, the Land Surveyor?” he said, “the man who was so unwilling to be examined and now is in a hurry to be examined. It would have been simpler to let me do it that time. Well, really it’s difficult to choose the right time for a hearing.” Since at these words K. made to stop, Momus went on: “Go in, go in! I needed your answers then, I don’t now.” Nevertheless K. replied, provoked by