John Hartig

Coffee Break Reading John Hartig

Coffee Break Reading involves two short stories: Who Killed Jean-Marie Leclair? [ a murder mystery] and Battle of the Violins [a time travel yarn with Captain James T. Kirk] The first short story is an 18th century murder mystery not yet definitively solved. Jean-Marie Leclair was one of the greatest Baroque Era violinists and composers living in France, when in 1764, he was found in the vestibule of his own home in a seedy part of Paris, stabbed to death. The culprit could have been his envious 40 year old nephew, Guillaume-François Vial, who wanted his uncle to promote his career before King Louis XV's court. Vial was a second rate violinist compared to his uncle. It could have been the ex-wife, Louise Roussel, who owned an engraving business and who made money out of Leclair's music compositions. It could have been a conspiracy between the two, nephew and ex-wife. Who knows for sure? Lieutenant Antoine-Gabriel de Sartine was frustrated in the police investigation. There simply was not enough evidence to arrest anybody!Introduce Captain James T. Kirk n the second short story. His mission is not to solve the Leclair murder, but rather to bring back to the future some of the top violinists for a fiddle contest in the year 2328 at the Hollywood Bowl. You guessed it, Jean-Marie Leclair is one of these contestents who will compete in the Battle of the Violins. The Admiral in Star Fleet who assigned Kirk the mission had a vested interest. Admiral Fritz Kreisler Jr. Jr. wanted to see who was the best of the best. Captain Kirk thought it was a whimsical idea, a waste of Star Fleet energy...and time! But then admirals had certain perks in their position. One of the other competitors in this fiddle fest was, of course, the Admiral's great, great [however many] grand-sons, Fritz Kreisler Sr. Sr. The strategy was for Captain Kirk, with Mister Spok, Scotty and Bones to slingshot the Enterprise around the sun, using its gravitational pull, to end up in the year 1901, so they could knock on Mr. H. G. Wells' door and ask to borrow his Time Machine...and then, well...you'd have to read the rest of the story to see who won.