authorities if you believe that. But even if it’s a question of the amount of work, your case would remain one of the slightest; ordinary cases, those without any so-called errors I mean, provide far more work and far more profitable work as well. Besides you know absolutely nothing yet of the actual work which was caused by your case. I’ll tell you about that now. Well, presently Sordini left me out of count, but the clerks arrived, and every day a formal enquiry involving the most prominent members of the community was held in the Herrenhof. The majority stuck by me, only a few held back—the question of a Land Surveyor appeals to peasants—they scented secret plots and injustices and whatnot, found a leader, no less, and Sordini was forced by their assertions to the conviction that if I had brought the question forward in the Town Council, every voice wouldn’t have been against the summoning of a Land Surveyor. So a commonplace—namely that a Land Surveyor wasn’t needed—was turned after all into a doubtful matter at least. A man called Brunswick distinguished himself especially, you don’t know him, of course; probably he’s not a bad man, only stupid and fanciful, he’s a son-in-law of Lasemann’s.”
“Of the Master Tanner?” asked K. , and he described the full-bearded man whom he had seen at Lasemann’s.
“Yes, that’s the man,” said the Superintendent.
“I know his wife, too,” said K. a little at random.
“That’s possible,” replied the Superintendent briefly.
“She’s beautiful,” said K. , “but rather pale and sickly. She comes, of course, from the Castle?” It was half a question.
The Superintendent looked at the clock, poured some medicine into a spoon, and gulped at it hastily.
“You only know the official side of the Castle?” asked K. bluntly.