Lunatic Idea by Ellynn

Chapter 1

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Maglor Feanorion sipped his morning coffee on a terrace of a cafe and browsed the newspapers, searching for the review of last night’s orchestra performance. Personally, he thought they had been really good. He has been playing in that orchestra for several years now, and he was very satisfied. They were completely dedicated to music and well trained. They were loved by both audience and critics, and he found another confirmation for that when he finally found the article. The journalist praised the orchestra as a whole and even more the solo-players – among whom was Maglor himself.

Thinking about it, and about other things too, he thought he could say that he was almost happy. He had the privilege to do what he really loved, he could earn a good amount of money, and he could also enjoy travelling and visiting different places. A win-win situation, he used to say sometimes. Yes, there were times when he had been somewhat lonely, and he also had to move every now and then; it was too much to hope that people wouldn't notice that their neighbour hadn't aged a single day during two, three or more decades. But if he ignored that, life was good. This twentieth century, as Men marked the current period of this Age of Arda, and all of its technological novelties and innovations made life better and more interesting. And the thing that gave him real happiness and fulfilment was music.

Having read the article, he continued to look through the last few pages, searching for other interesting things. His gaze fell on an article about news from the world of science. "Revolution in astronomy", the title screamed, written cunningly and sensationalistic in order to attract the reader. Okay, let's see what is so important...

The text was about a physicist named Erwin Schrödinger – and Maglor had to admit that he never heard of the man in spite the fact that he was obviously very successful in his work, because it was written that he had already won a Nobel prize – who introduced the idea of existence of two or more parallel universes on a lecture he held two days ago. It seemed that even the lecturer himself was aware how incredible, or even lunatic was the idea – for he forewarned the audience about it. But he repeated several times that his equations were pointing exactly in that direction and that the idea shouldn't be rejected.

Reaching the end, Maglor put aside the newspapers and sat back in his chair, gazing somewhere into the distance. His thoughts wandered away, and he didn't see other tables nor the people any more, and he didn't hear the murmur of the talk around him. He saw palaces of Valmar, beaches and the port of Alqualonde, Tol Erresea and all the places he dwelt in his childhood and youth. And while thinking about that distant country where he was born, and which hadn’t been a part of this world for a long time, he smiled.

Science progressed in huge steps; that fellow Einstein turned physics upside-down a few decades ago, and since then many more new and important discoveries have happened. It could be expected that sooner or later somebody would figure about parallel universes, too.

I don't know if you'll live to see the confirmation of your equations, Mr. Schrödinger... but you are right. Indeed you are.