"It’s worth nothing if it isn't making noise," Silas shrugged. "But there's a catch. This bass has a memory. If you play a boring line, it’ll go out of tune. If you play with heart, it’ll make you sound like a god."

"I can't play it anymore," Silas said, his fingers gnarled like oak roots. "And it’s a loud bird. It doesn’t like sitting still."

Leo found the ad on a Tuesday:

He hadn't just bought a guitar; he’d joined a partnership.