Today has me thinking about Easter eggs of a different kind, as in little hidden gems in TV shows, movies or books meant as homages or little jokes.  I occasionally toss them into my books… have you ever found one?

There’s one in the prologue of No Way to Start a War.  The prologue was my hopefully clever way to recap Book 1, This Corner of the Universe, using an official report by the Board of Inquiry of the Brevic Navy.  The report details the losses sustained in Captain Heskan’s engagement at the end of Book 1 in official military fashion, passes judgment on the conduct of the crew of BRS Anelace, and proposes medals be awarded to certain Navy personnel involved.

It’s in that section I added the following:

57. The Board concludes that the following personnel are eligible to wear the Badge of Military Merit for wounds suffered in action against the enemy:

a. All personnel noted in subsections 32 (posthumously) and 34 for reasons stated.

b. Lieutenant Commander Shane Durmont – Laceration – Wounded during subsequent repairs to and inspection of ANELACE.

Wait, what?  Lt. Commander Shane Durmont was not a member of Anelace’s crew, he was Heskan’s planetside supervisor back on Hulda.  He came for Heskan after the battle for other reasons, so how could he have been wounded?

Leave it to Durmont to use any opportunity to plump up his naval record.  He knew how to manipulate the system for his benefit.  He was “wounded” when he cut his finger while walking the corridors of what was left of Anelace, inspecting the damage done to the navy’s asset long after the danger had passed.

Happy Easter!