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VII . The Charges and the Escape I lived in Lilliput for nine months and thirteen days . One day the Emperor and his family came to dinner with me . I put them in chairs on my table . Flimnap the Treasurer came too , with a sour face . Afterwards he told the Emperor that I cost too much money . Flimnap was also jealous of his wife . Some unkind people told him that she loved me . This was a lie . She visited me , but always openly , with her family in her coach . Still , Flimnap believed it , and he hated me even more . One night an important man from the court came to my house in secret . I had once helped him , and now he wanted to help me . I put him on my table , and he spoke quietly . “ Your life is in danger , ” he said . “ Bolgolam and Flimnap have written charges of treason against you . Treason is a crime against the Emperor . The first charge is about the fire . The second says that you refused to destroy Blefuscu . The third says that you were friendly with the enemy’s ambassadors . And the fourth says that you are now going to visit the enemy’s Emperor . “ Flimnap and Bolgolam wanted you to die a terrible death . But the Emperor wanted to save your life . Then your friend Reldresal spoke . He said that the Emperor was famous for his mercy . So they could just put out both your eyes . You would still be strong and useful . You could see through the ministers ’ eyes , as great princes do . In the end the council agreed . Secretly they also plan to give you less and less food , until you grow weak and die . “ In three days Reldresal will read the charges to you . He will tell you how kind the Emperor is to spare your life . Then the Emperor’s doctors will blind you with sharp arrows . Now I must go . ” I sat alone for a long time . I had noticed something strange about this Emperor . Whenever he decided on a cruel punishment , he made a long speech about his own kindness . The more he talked about his mercy , the worse the punishment was . What could I do ? I could ask for a trial , but judges always decide what powerful people want . I could fight . I could easily destroy the city with stones . But I remembered my promise to the Emperor , and I rejected the idea with horror . So I decided to escape . I still had permission to visit Blefuscu . I sent a letter to Reldresal to say that I was leaving that morning . Then I went to the coast and took a large warship . I put my clothes and my blanket into it and pulled it after me . Partly walking and partly swimming , I reached Blefuscu . The Emperor of Blefuscu welcomed me kindly . But there was no bed big enough for me there , so I slept on the ground in my blanket .
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