When Gregor was sticking halfway out of the bed—the new method was less a struggle than a game, he had only to inch along by rocking back and forth—it struck him how much easier it would be if someone came to help. Two strong people—he thought of his father and the maid—would surely suffice: They would only have to slip their arms under his curved back to lift him from the bed, bend down with their burden, and be patient and watchful while he engineered his swing over to the floor, where he hoped his tiny legs would find some purpose. Now, putting aside the fact that all the doors were locked, should he really call for help? Despite his predicament, he could not suppress a smile at these thoughts.
He was already out so far that he could barely keep his balance while vigorously rocking, and very soon he would have to decide one way or the other, because in five minutes it would be a quarter past seven—then the doorbell rang. “That’s someone from the office,” he said to himself, and slightly stiffened although his legs only danced more wildly. Everything was still for a moment. “They’re not going to answer,” Gregor said to himself, clinging to some absurd hope. But then of course the maid marched sharply to the door as usual and opened it. Gregor needed only to hear the visitor’s first words of greeting to know who it was—the head clerk himself. Why was Gregor condemned to serve at a firm where the smallest infraction was seized upon with the gravest suspicion; was each and every employee a scoundrel; was there no loyal and dedicated man serving them who, having spent several hours of the morning not devoted to the firm, might become so overcome by pangs of remorse as to be actually unable to get out of bed? Would it not have been enough to send an apprentice to inquire—if any inquiry were actually necessary; did the head clerk himself have to come, and did the whole innocent family have to be shown that only the head clerk could be entrusted to investigate this suspicious matter? And owing more to the anxiety these thoughts caused Gregor than to any real decision, he swung himself with all his might out of the bed. There was a loud thud but not really a crash. The fall was broken somewhat by the carpet, and his back was more flexible than Gregor had thought, so there resulted only a relatively unobtrusive thump. However, he had not been careful enough about raising his head and had banged it; he twisted it and rubbed it against the carpet in pain and aggravation.
“Something fell in there,” said the head clerk in the adjoining room to the left. Gregor tried to imagine whether something similar to what had happened to him today might one day befall the head clerk; the possibility really had to be granted. But as if in rude reply to the question, the head clerk now took a few decisive steps in the next room, which caused his patent leather boots to creak. From the room to the right the sister informed Gregor in a whisper: “The head clerk is here.” “I know,” Gregor said to himself, not daring to raise his voice loud enough for his sister to hear.
“Gregor,” the father said, now from the room on the left, “the head clerk has come and wants to know why you did not catch the early train. We don’t know what to tell him. Besides, he wants to speak to you personally, so please open the door. He would surely be so kind as to excuse the untidiness of the room.” “Good morning, Mr. Samsa,” the head clerk was calling out amiably. “He is not well,” said the mother to the head clerk while the father was still speaking through the door, “he’s not well, sir, believe me. Why else would Gregor miss a train! All that the boy thinks about is work. It almost makes me mad the way he never goes out in the evening; he’s been in the city eight days now, but he’s been at home every night. He sits with us at the table quietly reading the paper or studying train schedules. His only amusement is busying himself with his fretsaw. For example, he spent two or three evenings carving a small frame, you’d be amazed how pretty it is, he hung it in his room, you’ll see it as soon as Gregor opens up. I’m glad, sir, that you are here; we would never have gotten Gregor to open the door ourselves, he’s so stubborn and he’s certainly not well even though he denied it this morning.” “I’m just coming,” said Gregor slowly and carefully, not moving so as not to miss one word of the conversation. “I can’t think of any other explanation, madam,” said the head clerk; “I hope it’s nothing serious. On the other hand I must say we businessmen—fortunately or unfortunately, as you will—are often obliged to simply overcome a slight indisposition to tend to business.” “So can the head clerk come in now?” asked the impatient father, knocking on the door again. “No,” said Gregor. The room on the left fell into an uncomfortable silence, the sister began sobbing in the room on the right.