They gave Dia some time alone with her treasures.

Later everyone dressed for dinner, and met in the dining room. Thoughts were mostly on what had occurred that afternoon. Dia was particularly silent so the others avoided the one topic they all wanted to discuss. 

Ian and Betty Jo mostly carried the conversation with Simon's and Bobbie Jo's assistance. Smitty was preoccupied and not particularly happy his presence had been required at table. He hadn't dressed as his statement of protest, so wore a pair of worn and holey jeans and a faded tee-shirt declaring himself a "Geek and Proud of It". Lev was mostly being all cerebral, answering when asked something directly but his attention to the conversation flagged quickly. The tattoo he'd suddenly received was hidden under his shirt and tux.

Then finally dinner was over, and they all reassembled in Ian's study where Dia had spent the afternoon examining her tapestry and her seal in private.

Once they were all seated, with drinks or coffee or tea, Dia stood.  She'd taken the time to put the tapestry on a frame so that it was visible to everyone.  She'd also conjured a large and  transparent map of the eastern Mediterranean basin and the northern portion of the Middle East that she'd attached to the blackboard.  As she moved towards them she felt ridiculously like a school teacher lacking only the rubber tipped pointer.   She leaned back against the side of Ian's desk and scanned the faces in front of her all of them locked onto the tapestry.  "I feel absolutely asinine up here," she began, "but I suppose it's the easiest way." 

Then she withdrew the ring from the silk pouch she placed it in and attached it to the tapestry so the two were touching.  The contact sparked life into the fabric and the metallic threads glowed and took on fiery life.  "It is, in fact, a map," she said, "of what appears to be a portion of the middle east where Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Azerbaijan converge in the Zagros Mountains.  Specifically, Mt. Sahand and  the Adji Chay valley, which is in Northwest Iran, an area some scholars have recently suggested might be the site of the Garden of Eden."

"So it is a quest," Ian said frowning. "And into one of the most dangerous parts of the world at the present time."

"Unfortunately yes," Dia said. 

"Are you planning to actually go on this quest?" Lev asked.

"Yes," she said.  "I'm afraid so.  It's either that or the harassment continues."

"Harassment?" Smitty asked, from the back dark corner where he was sitting.  "What do you mean? The bad guys?  But won't they just get crazier?"

"It's possible.  But it's the only way to end it I can see, short of just giving them the tapestry and the book," Dia said.

"I'd think they'd settle down once they realized you were a strong enough guardian to protect it," Simon replied.

"It would be extremely dangerous," Ian said, "and not just because of these others who want it, or what it leads to."

"Yes, it would be," she agreed.  She sipped some tea and set the cup aside again.  "An integral part of the quest motif, in fact."

"Who would you take with you? You'd need help," Ian asked.

"Well, it would depend on who was interested in going, who was willing to help.   Ideally,  though, it would be the people here."

"Not your mother and father?" Lev asked.

"Definitely not my mother," she said.  "My father would be welcome if he wished to come.  I doubt he would, however."

"Why would you think I should go?" Simon asked. "I'm just here.. accidentally."

"Are you?" she asked shifting against the edge of the desk.  "I don't think so, even though it seems that way.  And even taking into account six degrees of separation."

"I'm only involved because I'm friends with Smitty.  That's it," Simon replied. "I don't see how that fits me in at all."

"I don't see how yet, either.  I just know that you've some role to play before this is over.  I don't mean to imply you have no choice, that you're somehow constrained by fate to do this.  You're free to come or stay, all of you are."  She cocked her head slightly.   "But you're wrong you know, about only being involved because of Smitty.  You're also involved because of Bobbie and because of choices you made prior to this."

"And are you going?" Simon asked Bobbie.

Bobbie exchanged a look with Betty Jo, long and silent.  "Yes, I think I am," she said finally.  

"I suppose I'm the one stuck on this mission by fate," Lev commented from where he sat staring down at his drink. "Since it marked me."

"You are still free to say no," Dia told him.   "If you do this, do it out of willingness rather than as one who is a hapless tool of fate.  Otherwise you risk not bringing all of yourself to the task."

Ian studied Lev. "I will go, and Betty Jo has already told me that if I was going adventuring so was she. But that in no way means I think you are obligated to go by your position as Betty Jo's bodyguard and security."

"Well, I don't wanna go at all. I'll stay here," Smitty said. "I like it here."

"You won't be safe, honey," Dia said kindly.  "Plus, I'm going to need all the help I can get with this and you've been working on it longer than I.  Particularly the magical safeguards that were set in place."

Smitty looked less than convinced. "If I'm not safe here, I sure won't be safe there," he pointed out.

"No, but we'll be there to protect you.  We won't be here to do that.  Also Ian might not want to keep the house open while he's gone.  It might take weeks, you see."

"Weeks?" Smitty squeaked.

"You've spent a lot of time researching this, don't you want to see it through?" Ian asked Smitty.

"Well..." Smitty was clearly uncertain. "Will you go Simon? I'm not going if you aren't."

Simon frowned. "I don't know."

"Well then," Smitty said, "I don't know either."

"Well you'll have a few days to decide at least.  It's not like we're leaving first thing after breakfast tomorrow," Dia said.  "There's a lot of things to do before hand.  We aren't going to be able to just zap in."

"And we need to find out what we can regarding the political situation and deployment of any military forces in the area," Ian added. "I believe Blackheath and the Zoo will be able to assist us there."  Ian looked over at Lev. "And your thoughts?"

"I think you're all nuts, but since I signed on to protect Betty Jo I suppose I'd best go along."