3Daddy! Do the belly munch again!
The low murmur of the waiting crowd. Laughter. Whistles. Clapping. The buzz of some two thousand people jammed into a single room. The PA system plays Riders on the Storm.
No, Daddy! You have to stay and play with meeeeeeee…
Aldo has his eyes closed. His fingers drum nervously on his knees. His heart thumps so hard he can feel it in his earlobes. He's sitting on an old Marshall cabinet backstage, in the wings to the left of the stage. Ray Manzarek's bass notes thrum up from the floor, through the cab and vibrate along his spine.
What are you willing to give to your music?
“Everything,” Aldo whispers to himself.
“That is good to hear,” a familiar voice says, and Aldo flinches. His eyes snap open, and Bale's standing there. He's not looking at Aldo, bu
