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Moróvr, y cwd not but entr ryt necst tú him, ænd q gát was sudnli xut só qæt a part v my cót was locd out. Y was forsd tú tác it of ænd lév it béhynd mé æz qer sémd nó tjæns tú prsuád q portr tú ópn q gát agen. Hé gáv q cés tú a mesnjr hú locd qem up in a sáf. Ménwhyl y hæd a lwc æt q gát but stil cwdnt sé eni diferens tú q frst ænd q secnd wn. Djust by q dor wr tú colums; on wn v qem stwd a tol fémál figiúr in a báqk sút wiq q inscripxn: "Nou iú sé us." Q oqr was æn ecsæct copi v q frst, ænd bénéq was ritn: "Nou iú dónt sé us." Y hæd tú giv my nám agen, whitj was qis læst tym ritn doun in a gest bwc. Y qen résévd q djeniúin gest tócn, whitj was somwhat smolr qæn q formr ænd v blænc metl. Bésyds qis, y hæd tú lév my xús wiq q portr tú not drti q flor, æz hé sed. Y was tú giv awé my socs tú wn v q hómles pépl hú sæt, in veri gwd ordr, undr q gát. Y gáv qem tú æn óld mæn, wherupon q portr brot mé intú a litl tjámbr.

Moreover, I could not but enter right next to him, and the gate was suddenly shut so that a part of my coat was locked out. I was forced to take it off and leave it behind me as there seemed no chance to persuade the porter to open the gate again. He gave the keys to a messenger who locked them up in a safe. Meanwhile I had a look at the gate but still couldn't see any difference to the first and the second one. Just by the door were two columns; on one of them stood a tall female figure in a bathing suit with the inscription: "Now you see us." The other was an exact copy of the first, and beneath was written: "Now you don't see us." I had to give my name again, which was this last time written down in a guest book. I then received the genuine guest token, which was somewhat smaller than the former and of blank metal. Besides this, I had to leave my shoes to the porter to not dirty the floor, as he said. I was to give away my socks to one of the homeless people who sat, in very good order, under the gate. I gave them to an old man, whereupon the porter brought me into a little chamber.

It was, æz it trnd out, a lumbr rúm. Iúsles óld printk pápr ænd empti inc cæns pyld up béhynd q dor. Q portr æscd mé tú sit doun on a réléf plát, whitj y did, but hé, ecstikguixk his tortj in a cæn, départd ænd left mé alón. Sún æftr, y hrd som noiz, but so noqik, ænd it prúvd tú bé som men hú stumbld ryt óvr mé; but sins y cwd sé noqik, y hæd tú sufr ænd wát tú sé what qá wd embarc on. A cændl was lit, ænd y so qré men stændk in q tjámbr, bent doun bécas v q ló sélk. Wiq som constrnáxn, y æscd qem what qá wr about tú dú. Q wn mæn hú aperentli ecsrsyzd oqoriti óvr q oqrs ænd frst drú my atentjn was dresd in darc leqr clóqk whitj left his nec, his tjest ænd his arms náced. Hé did not réply. But q tú oqrs ecsclámd qæt qá wr góik tú bé punixd bécas y hæd bétrád qem tú q qrd portr. Ænd nou y so qæt qá wr æctuali q frst ænd q secnd portr, ænd qæt q qrd hæd locd qem intú a stránj æparætus hé hæd brot wiq him. It consistd v qré parts. Q lóer part acomódátd hænd- ænd fwt-cufs ænd tú belts tú loc qer necs. Hækik in q midl was a djyant whip; it was mountd ontu somqik qæt rézembld a plou ænd sémd tú bé contróld by a complicátd suitjbord on top v q maxén. Qoroli bæfld, y sed qæt y hæd néqr complánd about qem tú q qrd portr, nor æt ol menxnd what hæd hæpnd æt q frst ænd q secnd gát. Whyl q frst portr was aperentli súrendrk tú his fát, q secnd sed qæt y wd hæv a betr ópinion v him if y hæd nón hou bædli hé was pád; qæt hé ænd his colég hæd tú féd qer fæmilis, só qá wr forsd tú tác q bélokiks v qóz fiú trævlrs pæsk by. My próvijns hæd temptd him, ænd v cors it was forbidn tú séz qem, but æt q sám tym, qá trædixnali bélokd tú q portrs, y xwd bélév him qæt it hæz olwás bén qæt wá. But æz sún æz sombodi sugjestd it tú q qrd portr by displáik q fác gest tócns, punixmnt was inevitabl.

It was, as it turned out, a lumber room. Useless, old printing paper and empty ink cans piled up behind the door. The porter asked me to sit down on a relief plate, which I did, but he, extinguishing his torch in a can, departed and left me alone. Soon after, I heard some noise, but saw nothing, and it proved to be some men who stumbled right over me; but since I could see nothing, I had to suffer and wait to see what they would embark on. A candle was lightened, and I saw three men standing in the chamber, bent down because of the low ceiling. With some consternation, I asked them what they were about to do. The one man who apparently exercised authority over the others and first drew my attention was dressed in dark leather clothing which left his neck, his chest and his arms naked. He did not reply. But the two others exclaimed that they were going to be punished because I had betrayed them to the third porter. And now I saw that they were actually the first and the second third porter, and that the third had locked them into a strange apparatus he had brought with him. It consisted of three parts. The lower part accomodated hand- and feetcuffs and two belts to lock their necks. Hanging in the middle was a giant whip; it was mounted onto something that resembled a plough and seemed to be controlled by a complicated switchboard on top of the machine. Thoroughly baffled, I told that I had neither complained about them to the third porter, nor at all mentioned what had happened at the first and the second gate. While the first porter was apparently surrendering to his fate, the second said that I would have a better opinion of him if I had known how badly he was paid; that he and his colleague had to feed their families, so they were forced to take the belongings of those few travellers passing by. My provisions had tempted him, and of course it was forbidden to seize them, but at the same time, they traditionally belonged to the porters, I should believe him that it has always been that way. But as soon as somebody suggested it to the third porter by displaying the fake guest tokens, punishment was inevitable.

Y tóld qem qæt y hæd not nón what qá wr sáik nou; qæt y hæd not démænded qer punixmnt. Fynali, q qrd portr lwcd up æt mé ænd sed qæt y xwdnt bé afectd by qer whimprk bécas qer punixmnt was djust ænd irevócabl. Y æscd him hou meni vizitrs hæd com in béfor mé, whitj q frst portr frst réplyd wiq som inodibl mrmrk. Hé qen tóld mé qæt q punixk maxén was a ferli nú atjévmnt; qæt wns it was plugd in tú electrisiti ænd proprli adjustd tú q numbr, q eficasi ænd q cynd v blós, it wd imédiatli set in móxn ænd tétj its lesn undr eni srcmstæns. Whitj, hé sed, was q grát ædvæntadj; mrsi was mád tecnicali imposibl! Nou q whip délivrd its frst bló, spænck q ber butocs, but stil q secnd portr cept on complánk qæt y xwd not lisn tú his punixr, qæt y cwd confrm, tú, hou cerfuli from qer súprvyzrs point v viú hé ænd his colég hæd garded qer gáts. Qá bóq, hé sed, hæd wel-founded ecspectáxns tú bé prómótd tú hyer ræncs ænd wd prhæps bécom punixrs lyc q qrd portr hú hæd bén hiqrtú fortiúnat qæt nóbodi hæd bétrád him tú q súpériors. Y æscd wheqr q whip réli cozd só mutj pán ænd wheqr qer was eni posibiliti tú sper q bóq men. Wiq æn amiúzd smyl, q punixr dényd it ænd tóld mé not tú bélév evriqik qá sed; qæt qá hæd bécom somwhat sili in qer fér v pán. Y xwd djust lwc æt q frst portr ænd hou fæt hé hæd bécom from stélk trævlrs fúd. It was v cors ridiciúlus tú qinc, hé sed, qæt a mæn wiq sutj a pot beli cwd evr bécom a punixr. Q maxén hæd ménwhyl wrcd itself intú a frenzi ænd hit out æt q náced bodis wiq incrésk fors. Y stil sæt on q réléf plát ænd wotjd wiqout derk tú trn my hed. Sudnli, q frst portr brst intú a scrém, unbrócn ænd untjánjk; it didnt sém tú com from a hiúmn béik, but from æn abiúzd instrúmnt, q hól rúm révrberátd, evriwn outsyd must hæv nótisd it. Qen q punixr pwt out q cændl, ænd y hrd him rémúvk q belts qæt hæd locd q victms tú q frám v q maxén. Régretk qer fát, y was content tú dú whatevr qá dézyrd. Wn v qem, y cwd not sé hú hé was, cám óvr ænd cut awé ol my her. In qis encountr, y must ædmit, y was redi tú désper, sins hé xávd mé forsfuli, ænd yet y cwd sé noqik. Y qot qæt my trn hæd com, ænd qæt y myt not get out alyv. But q invizibl barbr cerfuli gæqrd q her hé hæd cut of ænd grædiúali cerid it awé wiq him ntil y fel aslép.

I told them that I had not know what they were saying now; that I had not demanded their punishment. Finally, the third porter looked up at me and said that I shouldn't be affected by their whimpering because their punishment was just and irrevocable. I asked him how many visitors had come in before me, which the first porter first replied with some inaudible murmuring. He then told me that the punishing machine was a fairly new achievement; that once it was plugged to electricity and properly adjusted to the number, the efficacy and the kind of blows, it would immediately set in motion and teach its lesson under any circumstance. Which, he said, was the great advantage; mercy was made technically impossible! Now the whip delivered its first blow, spanking the bare buttocks, but still the second porter kept on complaining that I should not listen to his punisher, that I could confirm, too, how carefully from their supervisors' point of view he and his colleague had guarded their gates. They both, he said, had well-founded expectations to be promoted to higher ranks and would perhaps become punishers like the third porter who had been hitherto fortunate that nobody had betrayed him to superiors. I asked whether the whip really caused so much pain and whether there was any possibility to spare the both men. With an amused smile, the punisher denied and told me not believe everything they said; that they had become somewhat silly in their fear of pain. I should just look at the first porter and how fat he had become from stealing travellers' food. It was of course ridiculous to think, he said, that a man with such a potbelly could ever become a punisher. The machine had meanwhile worked itself into a frenzy and hit out at the naked bodies with increasing force. I still sat on the relief plate and watched without daring to turn my head. Suddenly, the first porter bursted into a scream, unbroken and unchanging; it didn't seem to come from a human being, but from an abused instrument, the whole room reverberated, everyone outside must have noticed it. Then the punisher put out the candle, and I heard him removing the belts that had locked the victims to the frame of the machine. Regretting their fate, I was content to do whatever they desired. One of them, I could not see who he was, came over and cut away all my hair. In this encounter, I must admit, I was ready to despair, since he shaved me forcefully, and yet I could see nothing. I thought that my turn had come, and that I might not get out alive. But the invisible barber carefully gathered the hair he had cut off and gradually carried it away with him until I fell asleep.

Q necst mornk, y wóc up tú q noiz v meni trumpets. It was a confiúzd cæcofoni, q trumpets wr out v tún, ænd q pláers blú wiqout mrsi. But qis didnt distrb mé sins it ónli prúvd what a big institúxn it was. Y wocd out ænd so a lardj stádj qæt must hæv bén set up æt nyt. On top wr som wimn hú blú lok tin trumpets. Meni pépl hæd asembld in front v q stádj, ænd qá wr ol æbsorbd in a complicátd dæns v meni tuists ænd trns. Y so countles múvmnts crosk étj oqr in móst delicat wés. Evriqik was continiúali ænd vyváxusli tjánjk direcxns, but -- qæt was q méracl -- nóbodi evr cólyded. Stændk necst tú mé was æn eldrli mæn hú hæd brot his wyf ænd a tjyld wiq him. Qá xúrli admyrd q dæns ænd q trumpet plá, but sémd confiúzd. Y felt nó diferent. Æftr y hæd watjd ænd lisnd for a srtn whyl, y trnd tú q mæn ænd æscd him wheqr qis was q mætriciúláxn seremóni. Hé réplyd wiq a stránj djestiúr, ænd só y répétd my cuestjn sevrl tyms ntil y undrstwd qæt q mæn cwdnt hér mé; ænd y réalyzd qæt ol q oqr pépl wr def æz wel. Hé qen pointd tú a póst qæt hæd escápd my atentjn. Atætjd tú it was a flypóstr, ænd y réd:

The next morning, I woke up from the noise of many trumpets. It was a confused cacophony, the trumpets were out of tune, and the players blew without mercy. But this didn't disturb me since it only proved in what a big institution I was. I walked out and saw a large stage that must have been set up at night. On top were some women who blew long tin trumpets. Many people had assembled in front of the stage, and they were all absorbed in a complicated dance of many individual twists and turns. I saw countless movements crossing each other in most delicate ways. Everything was continually and vivaciously changing directions, but--that was the miracle--nobody ever collided. Standing next to me was an elderly man who had brought his wife and a child with him. They surely admired the dance and the trumpet play, but seemed confused. I felt no different. After I had watched and listened for a certain while, I turned to the man and asked him whether this was the matriculation ceremony. He replied with a strange gesture, and so I repeated my question several times until I understood that the man couldn't hear me; and I realized that the all the other people were deaf as well. He then pointed to a post that had escaped my attention. Attached to it was a flyposter, and I read:

"From sics ocloc ntil midnyt, wé wil acsept nú membrs! Wé col upon iú tú nról! Wé ónli col iú tudá, ónli wns! Qóz hú mis qis oprtúniti wil mis it forevr! Qóz hú cer about qer fiútiúr bélok tú us! Evriwn is welcom! Wé néd evriwn æt qer plás! Qóz hú want tú djoin us wil bé welcomd on q spot! But huri up só qæt iú bé let in béfor midnyt! Evriqik wil bé xut doun ænd nevr ópn agen! Dæmnd bé qóz hú dú not bélév us!"

"From six o'clock until midnight, we will accept new members! We call you upon to enroll! We only call you today, only once! Those who miss this opportunity will miss it forever! Those who care about their future belong to us! Everyone is welcome! Wee need everyone at their place! Those who want to join us will be welcomed on the spot! But hurry up so that you be let in before midnight! Everything will be shut down and never open again! Damned be those who do not believe us!"

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