Iron and Silk

p. 122

One day, during his visit to China, Salzman is prepared to display his ‘cello to a group of earnest fishermen and their families. “I took the ‘cello out of the case and the whole room gasped, clicked their tongues, and sighed with appreciation. I walked over to my seat and began to explain the mechanics of the instrument, and then I noticed that none of them were looking at me or at the ‘cello. ‘It’s beautiful,’ they kept saying, and one by one they all went to touch the divine object–the red velvet lining inside the ‘cello case.”