Flashman in the Great Game Chapter 6

If the chapters in the Flashman books had titles chapter 6 of Flashman in the Great Game could very well be entitled Everything Turns to Shit.

Flashman knows immediately on arriving back at the British officers camp that something is wrong. He sends his female companion, one of Mason's relatives back to the house and goes to check out the jail, which is where he believes the trouble will be. Depending on how back the situation is he has every intention of getting out as quickly as he can, going somewhere he can safely reveal himself as a British officer and get on the first boat back to England.

While trying to get through the town he sees a mob literally tear apart a British officer and knows that he probably won't get out of this as easily as he would like. The notes indicate that this was one of the first British officers killed by the rebelling locals. Going to the jail is out, if anyone there recognises him as one of Mason's servants they'll tag him as a British sympathiser and kill him.

Flashman heads back to the houses. The scenes that greet him are right out of one of the circles of Hell. This is where the mutineers hit hardest. They killed indiscriminately, men, women, children, even their own if they thought they were working for the British.

Flashman goes to the veterinarians house and finds the vet, a soldier called Tommy and a dead woman, who seemed to have been named Mary. The two men panic and don't recognise Harry. There's a brief struggle from which Flashman is lucky to get away alive, and as it is he receives a nasty facial wound.

This incident decides him to go back to Mason's house, because Mason has a revolver in a drawer in his office, and that could come in very useful. Another hellish scene greets him. The lady with whom he had spent a delightful afternoon has been beheaded and the strict Scottish woman who used to advise him on how to manage the servants has been pinned to the wall by a tulwar. Harry takes the revolver, loads it, and leaves the house as angry as he has ever been in his life.

On the way out he meets a drunken mutineer who boasts of murdering the 6 year old daughter of the saddlemaster. Flashman knows the girl, and he liked her. He shoots the mutineer in the groin and leaves him there to die in pain.

What follows is a mad delirious journey through a strife ridden countryside. He has a fever dream that features Arnold and Charity Spring. These two men seem to be in more of Harry's fever dreams than any other figures, and I think it indicates just how much they terrified him. I'm not sure why Arnold, but he really does put the wind up Harry. John Charity Spring was a psychotic lunatic, so that doesn't surprise. He does find out that the entire country has gone to hell and is now being ruled by someone who has seized their chance and named themselves King.

Harry has to get out of the country, but where can he go? At some stage his disguise is going to fail and then he's as good as dead. The idea comes to him that Jhansi was well run and Lakshmibai wouldn't have given up her rule easily. Besides Ilderim had promised to wait for him and keep an eye out at a temple nearby.

Ilderim and his men are there as promised, although it looks like they've been in fighting as well, Ilderim's arm is in a sling. That's when the Pathan delivers the bad news, all the British are dead. Jhansi has become the same sort of hell hole as the rest of the country.

Flashman at the Charge - Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of Flashman at the Charge sees Harry and Willy arrive in the Crimea itself. Most of the chapter concerns itself with the old soldier's observations on the campaign itself, the conduct and general incompetence of the commanders and while most of this is common knowledge it still stuns me that it was true of many of the British commanders of the day, yet they were still successful so often.

There's a mention of a correspondent by the name of Billy Russell. Flashman confesses to liking the man, he's not the only journalist mentioned in the papers and they generally come off fairly favourably. Maybe George MacDonald Fraser's bias, being an old journalist himself, was showing here.

Willy is eager to get into the action and it's all Harry can do to hold him back. The young prince sees war as a great adventure and keeps comparing what they're doing to the knights of old. Harry of course knows better, having experienced at least two fairly bloody campaigns already (Flashman and Flashman and the Mountain of Light) and his natural cowardice kicks in. Flashman doesn't have to go anywhere near the action, his reputation is enough to keep him away from the front lines.

Sure enough Willy does something rash and while Raglan screams at Harry to get after him, Harry pretends not to hear and when he does finally have to go it's too late. Poor Willy is killed. Flashman's reaction, which is mostly fear that his reputation and career will be shot (after all he was partially responsible for the death of Queen Victoria's nephew), is mistaken for grief at what happened to his young companion.

A moment of high hilarity is sobered by a very poignant reflection. Raglan carpets Flashman, blaming him for the tragedy, which is true enough, then hands him Willy's effects, one of which is a locket containing a picture of a girl Raglan describes as: 'the face of a boy's sweetheart, chaste, trusting and innocent.' Harry nearly laughs, because the last time he had seen the poor sweet creature she had been wearing a pair of black satin boots and nothing else. Yes, Willy had worn the image of St John's Woods whore into battle! If Flashman had his way Willy would be back in London pleasuring himself with the girl, but he then wonders if Raglan and any of the boy's pious relatives would have called him back to life on those terms. The chapter ends with three heartbreaking words: Poor little Willy.

Flash for Freedom - Chapter 4

After ALL of the action in Chapter 3, Chapter 4 is a bit of a come down. A lot of it concerns itself with the business of preparing, loading and then transporting the cargo of the Balliol College. I guess at the time Flash for Freedom came out, the finer details of slave trading didn’t exist outside of non fiction. By the time I read it, I’d seen TV programs featuring it and read a number of books, including an excellent children’s book the name of which escapes me (it may have been Slave Dancer) that dealt with the same subject, so it was a bit old hat for me and not of much interest. I was struck this time by how Flashman describes these situations, but does so in a totally self centred way. It’s never about the ordeal others are going through, more about how it affects him personally.

Once underway there’s a rather half hearted chase by an American ship, they also tally up the ‘butchers bill’ and it’s worked out that, not including the cabin boy, they lost 5 men in the engagement on the beach. No one believes Comber will survive either, if for no other reason than Mrs Spring has volunteered to nurse him.

The men are encouraged to avail themselves of the female slaves, apparently if it can be proved that they’re ‘breeders’ it increases their value on the block. Flashman adopts one young lady, and unable to learn her language, teaches her both an English phrase and a Latin one, he does the latin to annoy John Charity Spring, he also christens her Lady Caroline Lamb, because it amuses him. The real Caroline Lamb was an aristocrat and novelist who had an affair with Byron, she died in 1828, so I’m not really sure why Flashman gave the girl that name unless his family was somehow connected to the woman. Maybe Buck had an affair with her, as well.

There is an incident involving Charity Spring that is going to have ramifications for the story later on. The ship has a mentally disabled cabin boy and general dogsbody they name Looney. The rest of the crew generally make fun of him or use him as a punching bag. Charity Spring as he tends to do takes it too far, and it alters the boy’s personality.

Comber dies of his wounds, but before doing so asks to see Flashman and makes a deathbed confession. He’s not a sailor who signed on with a slaver because of some scandal. He’s actually a British naval lieutenant collecting information with the intention of prosecuting all involved. When he realises he’s going to die he pegs Flashman as the person who can continue his work. Flashman comes into possession of the documents that not only can sink John Charity Spring, but also point to John Morrison as profiting from slavery. Flashman hides the paperwork by sewing it into his belt, but determines that it will make for an excellent way of squeezing his father-in-law when he gets back to England.

The Balliol College arrives to a chaotic scene in a Cuban port, because gold has just been discovered in California and everyone and their dog is off to stake a claim.

R.I.P Sara Douglass

Australian fantasy author Sara Douglass (The Axis trilogy and Wayfarer trilogy amongst others) has passed away after a long battle with cervical cancer. Sara was an intelligent and talented writer. Her passing will be mourned by fans and fellow authors alike.

Melmoth: Epilogue

I think the epilogue is my favourite part of Melmoth. Call me a philistine, but I still like a bit of action in my comics or graphic novles and the epilogue of Melmoth has that.

Cerebus is sitting in his usual semi catatonic state outside the cafe while 2 Cirinist guards talk nearby. The aardvark's pointy ears prick up when one of the guards mentions to her companion that she was assigned to Jaka while the Palnan was imprisoned. Interest turns to rage when the guard casually and proudly admits to having abused Jaka when in custody.

There's no other way to put this: Cerebus goes apeshit. He attacks the women. Swinging his sword wildly, fists clenched, teeth gritted, eyes bulging, blood flying, still clutching Missy, he kills the guards.

As he cuts them down he recalls a conversation with Bear one night. It was the first time he had ever heard of the Cirinists. Interestingly enough the younger Cerebus' snout is elongated again. I thought the shortening of his snout was Dave the artist refining his technique, it may have been that, but it also seems that he took a conscious decision to portray Cerebus' younger self with the longer nose. Bear tells Cerebus about the Cirinists. They seem to be mind linked, kill or hurt one and they all come running, like a nest of hornets. Bear actually says if he ever injured or killed a Cirinist he'd cut his throat before they could get him, basing this on what happened to someone he knew who had done just that and been caught. George's face and his words: die alone, unmourned and unloved, comes to Cerebus.

Cerebus flees, still hanging onto the one thing that reminds him of Jaka; Missy, he runs. The Ciinists give chase, but before they can get to him Cerebus jumps the wall and keeps on going. The final 4 panels are chopped into long thin sections, narrowing in on Cerebus' effort filled face, the final one being one narrowed eye. It very effectively gives the impression of being with Cerebus as he runs, again Dave displays that cinematic style of his.

A nice cliffhanger ending that leads into the next book.

The Poet

The 2nd chapter of Jaka’s Story is entitled simply The Poet. Although readers get more of Cerebus (now called Fred) and Jaka, The Poet is really about Oscar.

Oscar returns from the upper city to his lodgings halfway down the mountain. Before writing Jaka’s Story, Dave read a biography of the Irish playwright and wit Oscar Wilde, and became very interested in the man. There’s no doubt that the character of Oscar in Jaka’s Story is most definitely Oscar Wilde, and Dave decided to portray him in all of his self indulgent glory. Of the other 4 characters living in this secluded little community only Rick likes Oscar. Jaka and Pud cannot stand the man. Fred may have crossed paths with him as they moved in the same circles during High Society, but he stays hidden in the apartment most of the time, and any previous association is not mentioned, although Jaka does say he was at the Regency on election night. (Cerebus ran for President in High Society).

Oscar is rude, highly arrogant and vain, but Rick seems to like him. I think Rick kind of likes everyone, though. Jaka does admit that to a large extent Rick is a child. He tells Oscar that he wants Jaka to have a son and when their son is 10 years old he’ll get him a foal for his birthday. His reason for this gift is so that the child will lift that foal above his head every day until he turns 13, by which stage he will be strong enough to lift a full grown horse above his head. This is Rick’s plan for ensuring that his son won’t be a skinny runt like he is.

Jaka and Pud tolerate Oscar because they have to (Pud’s dead mother gave him a 90 year lease on the house he occupies), but they make no secret of their dislike for the man. Stuck inside the apartment all the time Fred becomes adept at bouncing a ball into a bucket, and he and Rick spend nights while Jaka is dancing, trying to best each other at this.

Pud’s lecherous thoughts about Jaka continue and he rehearses in his head over and over a conversation he may never actually have with her. Jaka unwittingly fuels the innkeeper’s fantasies by complaining about her difficulties with Rick, and his friendship with Oscar, while dressed in her scanty dancing costume. One night Pud acts, he actually initiates the long thought about conversation with Jaka, however before he can complete it a customer arrives at the tavern. He’s a wizened old man, who claims to have been a veteran of some long ago Iestan conflict, and he’s seeking refuge from the Cirinists. Jaka dances for him and for the first night in a long time she feels alive again. She rushes back to the apartment to share her news with Rick and Fred. They are engaged in their moronic game and shush her. This upsets Jaka and she runs to her room in tears. Rick goes to console her and Fred hears another of their heated arguments. One of their major points of disagreement is Rick’s insistence on going into the city to buy paint for Oscar, he’s painting one of the heads on the road outside the tavern. Fred makes a decision.

The following morning Jaka finds a note penned by Fred and runs to Rick in hysterics. The aardvark, probably the most wanted person in all of Iest, has gone to buy the paint. A bleary eyed Rick stumbles into Fred’s room and comes out mumbling that he took his sword and he’s the best in all of Estarcion, Jaka said so herself. It’s true, of the four people on the mountain Fred or Cerebus is the most likely to be able to fight his way out of any trouble he may find himself in. This calms Jaka somewhat.

Oscar has been working on a book. His publishers insist on calling it Daughter of Palnu. Oscar calls it Jaka’s Story. The story that we have been reading in between what is going on in the present is Oscar’s story about Jaka. He completes it and via Rick sends a letter to Jaka requesting that he be allowed to watch her dance. Genuinely pleased and slightly amused, not to mention more than a little intrigued, Jaka sends a reply, also through Rick, granting her permission.

A marvellous night follows. Jaka dances. She dances for her husband Rick, for her employer Pud, for Oscar and for the little, old man that is Pud’s only genuine customer. She dances for herself. For a time I was transported back to Issue #6 The Secret, when Cerebus first saw Jaka and fell in love with her. This however is Cerebus and happiness cannot be allowed to continue.

Oscar rises and excuses himself to go and retrieve his new manuscript to read it to them. The moment he mentions the title Jaka knows what it's about and knows how Oscar got the information, how could Rick have told Oscar about her life? Why? Does he not understand what a betrayal she feels that is? Before Oscar can return or Jaka can finish her argument with her husband the door crashes open and three masked, armed Cirinist soldiers enter.

The old man smashes a bottle and attacks, he’s shot with a crossbow bolt before he can even get close to the warrior women. They agree that his execution was an act of self defence. Before Jaka’s horrified eyes they accuse Pud of illegally operating a tavern and allowing immoral and illegal activities. The penalty is execution and it’s carried out then and there. The peaceful Mama’s boy Pud Withers dies a violent death, whimpering the word ‘Mama.’ as he dies. Jaka, too should also be executed for dancing, she immediately announces that she is Jaka Tavers, niece of Lord Julius of Palnu and claims diplomatic immunity for herself and her husband Rick Nash. One of the soldiers still wants to execute her, but is overridden by the other 2, who insist that she must be questioned. Jaka leads an inebriated Rick out to their wagon and they climb inside.

Unaware of what has just happened Oscar returns with his manuscript. He convinces the women that he was not a patron, but a tenant. For having written a book without a licence he is arrested and sentenced to 2 years hard labour.

Thus ends The Poet, chapter2 of Jaka’s Story.

Dave did a great job with Oscar. Aside from the man’s appearance, speech and mannerisms he tied his fictional creation into the real person on which he was based in a number of ways. He speaks to Rick about a work which can only be The Picture of Dorian Gray, only he does not claim credit for it, he sneers at the work and says it was written by a rival; Lord Wotton. Wotton is a character from the famous book. At one point Pud accuses Oscar of being a somdomite, an angry Oscar informs him that the correct pronunciation is sodomite. The Marquess of Queensberry once accused Wilde of being a somdomite. Wilde then sued Queensberry for libel, which forced the Marquess to prove that the accusation was true. Wilde wrote a play called Salome, about the biblical dancer and stepdaughter of King Herod Antipas. The play was initially refused a licence in England because it was about a biblical character. I think there are definite links between Jaka’s Story and Salome and of course Oscar in Cerebus is arrested for writing without a licence. The real Oscar Wilde was found guilty of the crime of sodomy and sentenced to 2 years hard labour, just as the fictional one was. There are quite possibly other links and references, but these are the ones I could find.

Lord Julius also appears briefly in Jaka’s Story. As he occasionally does, he comes out of nowhere, he’s wearing a dress, obviously a very bad disguise, has a nonsensical conversation with Oscar, and then disappears again. Oscar believes that Julius is Jaka and Rick’s mysterious guest, and there’s a brief running gag about Cerebus wearing one of Jaka’s dresses.

I felt that Dave’s artistic style in this story was less cartoony. Cerebus/Fred of course looks like he always has, so is a cartoon, but the rest of the characters were less caricatured than had been the case in the past. It was particularly noticeable in a drawing of a young Astoria, aged 17 and just married to Lord Julius, she was truly stunning.

There were 2 really effective passages. One was Jaka and Oscar getting ready for the final night. They were both contrasted picking out their outfits and it was very amusing to watch them 2 of them go through their extensive wardrobes before settling on their respective costumes for the night. The other was the killing at the end. When Jaka’s story finished Aardvark-Vanaheim brought out a series of t-shirts (I actually have one) with the legend: ‘I survived Jaka’s Story.’ Not many people got out alive. Pud and the old soldier were executions pure and simple. Cold, clinical, quick and chilling.

Varying Reasons Of Assorted Depths

You keep asking yourself, what the hell do these titles mean? They do sound great, though.

The title scrolls across the 1st three pages, which once again gives the opening of this chapter the feel of a movie. The only image on those first three pages, on nine panels, is Bishop Powers' cathedral. I can't remember seeing it before, it's quite a striking building and because Gerhard drew it, it looks better than it ever had if Dave did happen to show it in any other chapters.

Powers is inside discussing Weisshaupt's impending death. Being the marvelously compassionate churchman that he is Powers wishes Weisshaupt a hideously painful, but quick passing.

Cerebus is still siumped against the wall where he was when Jaka left. Boobah comes to tell him that Weisshaupt is near death, but wants to talk to Most Holy about the end of the world. Cerebus puts on his robes and takes the carriage Weisshaupt sent for him.

Weisshaupt is very near death. He's almost unrecognisable. He's no longer wearing the wig or the 18th century suit, but even taking that into consideration, he's changed. He has lost a huge amount of weight, his cheeks are sunken and his eyes slits. Interestingly enough he looked a lot like Professor Charles X Claremont.

He and Cerebus spar verbally and Weisshaupt accuses Astoria of pulling Cerebus' strings. Cerebus tells Weisshaupt he has not seen Astoria since he resigned as Prime Minister. For some reason Weisshaupt refuses to believe him. When Weisshaupt dies Cerebus will be the only extraordinary person left in Estarcion. Cerebus counters that with his belief that Weisshaupt is not extraordinary, he's a dying fool.

That's when Weisshaupt drops his first bombshell. Cerebus is not the only aardvark in Estarcion. There are two others. We probably knew there were other aardvarks. Cerebus couldn't be the only one, he had to come from somewhere, it's just that at this stage the reader knows next to nothing about his life before he rode into that dirt city and took on a job for two treasure hunters.

Cerebus demands Weisshaupt tell him where the other two are. At this stage Weisshaupt holds the cards, he is going to die very soon, what can Cerebus possibly do to him?

Weisshaupt reveals that he believes himself to be the great redeemer. Cerebus says that is just stupid, he's the Great Cerebus, the one whose coming has been foretold for centuries. This is when Weisshaupt questions the source of that information. Despite his current appearance Bran Mak Mufin is a primitive who wore a loin cloth and lived in a rabbit warren.

Cerebus asks Weisshaupt the answer to a question that has been bothering him ever since he first met the manipulator. The Roach told him not to stare at Weisshaupt's ankle. Cerebus wants to know what's wrong with his ankle. Even in his weakened state Weisshaupt has to smile. The Bug was under strict instructions not to stare at Weisshaupt's uncle, because, second bombshell, his uncle is Suenteus Po.

Cerebus demands to know where the other 2 aardvarks are. Weisshaupt still refuses. Cerebus backhands him and storms out. Weisshaupt lays on the floor, blood trickling from a cut on the side of his mouth, Cerebus' parting words of 'go to hell' echoing in his head and murmurs: 'I shall Great Cerebus...I shall.'

Despite how long the book had been running and how many people had died up to this point I felt this was the first truly significant death.