thinking allows him to communicate with gestures his true ethnicity to his British captors. In an uncharacteristically humane act, he orders the Indian mutineers who were going to be blown away alongside him, to be freed saying "the way things are hereabouts, one of 'em's probably Lord Canning." In this book Flashman often behaves heroically, though his interior thoughts are often - but not always - those of a coward and a cad. Victoria Cross and Knighthood At the end of the book Flashman receives the Victoria Cross and finds out he is to be knighted, continuing his knack for being rewarded for heroics despite his efforts to avoid doing anything dangerous. However, his attempt to sneak into Jhansi to convince the Rani to surrender is an act of bravery (and he is nearly killed for his efforts). He also took part in some of the most terrifying actions of the mutiny and even took to defending Cawnpore during the siege. Therefore, this is the first time that one could argue, he did in fact deserve the Victoria Cross and his knighthood, not only for the feats of (unintentional) bravery, but for the horrors he was forced to endure and the initiative he showed in trying to complete his mission. At the end of the book he finds out that he is described - in the recently published book Tom Brown's School Days - as a bully and a coward. Characters Fictional characters Flashman - The hero or anti-hero this depends on the reader's opinion. Elspeth - His adoring and possibly unfaithful wife. Ilderim Khan - His old Afghan blood brother from Flashman. Killed by sepoys during the retreat from Cawnpore. Scud East - His old schoolmate who dies at Cawnpore. James Kane Rowbotham - A British civilian who leads his own group of vigilantes to lynch Indians suspected of being mutineers. He and his group are killed by the mutineers at the Siege of Cawnpore. Rowbotham's Moss-troopers (Cheeseman, O'Toole, Fields, Jinks) - A group of vigilantes lead by James Rowbotham. All but Flashman are killed attempting to reach Cawnpore. Mrs. Leslie - A woman attached to the Meerut garrison with whom Flashman, in his disguise as Makkaram Khan, has an affair. Killed by sepoys during the Meerut Massacre. Historical characters Indians Rani Lakshmi Bai - Queen of Jhansi. Flashman finds her to be a great horseback rider and swordswoman.