watchers might also have noted , with a shiver as they did so , that even these strong men did not dare to approach the corpse , much less lift it up , until the the horrifying rictus of terror that they found upon maxs face had been obscured with layers of blankets , placed there by the night porter , who approached the corpse walking backwards , so he also would be spared the horror that was written upon maxs bloated , terrified face .