"I could see Dubček up there on the stage, lolling back in his chair, his cello leaning against one knee. It was not the posture one would expect from a professional musician. His cello gleamed white in the stage lights. Suddenly there was a shout from somewhere in the audience. 'Rubbish!'" Two witnesses to a wild melee at an odd orchestral performance tell their stories. What is the provenance of the cello... and its mysterious power?