Symphony in E# (Tea and Cookies, Part 2 of 4)

He pulled a seat near the window for her. His studio was in a Manhattan office building and looked out over New York. The financial district. She sat straight and politely, hands folded in her lap.

“Can I make you some tea? Chamomile? Honey?”

She nodded and smiled sweetly. Now, just as he was about to destroy the Universe, something like this had to happen. Of all the dumb luck.

“I represent the New York Philibusters,” she said

“Yes, I’ve heard of you. I quite like your experimental approach to music.” He handed her the tea. “Sugar cookie?”

She smiled and accepted, took a bite of the cookie. “We like your piece.”

“It isn’t a symphony, really. It is more like an experiment in harmonics. A tone poem, if you must.” He pulled a chair across from her and his brow wrinkled. “It has seen few tentative arrangements. Never a full orchestral performance.”

“We would like to perform it. We like the premise that E sharp doesn’t exist and the… striving after it.”

Walter smiled and nibbled at his cookie. He placed it on the piano next to a tuning fork that had embedded itself dangerously into the oak.

“But E# doesn’t exist.”

“Simply because it doesn’t exist on the piano keyboard,” she argued “is just a product of the arrangement of intervals.” He tilted his head curiously to the side. “The Major scale is an aesthetic design.”

He grinned and ate his cookie. “The whole universe is an aesthetic design and the human ear is a product of that. E# would offend the sensibilities of the Great Design.”

She laughed. “I love it. It’s brilliant. This is why we want to do your piece.”

He stood and placed the teacup beside his discarded cookie. “I’m flattered. I really am. But it is quite… impossible.” He checked his watch. “You see. I’m about to rip a hole in the fabric of space time.” He hustled her up and moved her towards the door. “It’s late.”

She put a hand lightly on his chest.

“Can I watch?” she asked.

His breath froze. His heart skipped.

“We’ll take my car,” he answered.

To be continued…