Half-Blood Blues

Back in 1992 Berlin, Chip and Sid are on their way to visit Hiero in Poland. As they pass the remains of the old Berlin Wall, Chip apologizes again for what he said, and Sid tells him, “you got to make it right” (193). At the airport Sid learns that Chip hasn’t told Hiero that they’re coming; he wonders how Hiero will respond to his arrival, perhaps angrily.

Upon arriving in Stettin, Poland, they catch a ride on an old Soviet transport bus. The route leads out of the city into the countryside, and the other passengers get off one by one. Sid and Chip reminisce about their boyhood days in Baltimore, including Chip’s first performance on stage.

Back then, 13-year-old Sid followed Chip into a club owned by Panther Brownstone. Chip and Brownstone performed a set together, to tremendous applause. Sid, meanwhile, felt that he had “found what [his] life was meant for” in the club’s laidback atmosphere (201). Brownstone offered Chip a regular gig in the club, until he discovered that Chip was too young to perform there legally. However, he called over two young ladies, telling them to “take care of” Sid and Chip (203).