Later, at the Culver home, Dema's family was chatty as usual, but Cern seemed rather subdued. 

After a bit Dema turned to him and said, "Something on your mind?"

"Have you ever been to Europe?"

"You mean, this lifetime?"

"Right."

"No. You thinking about going there?"

"Yes."

"What do you have in mind? One of those whirlwind tours?"

"I was thinking of starting with Denmark."

"Ah." Dema smiled. "Were you going to invite me along?"

"I would like nothing better. Will you come?"

"Of course."

The family chatter had subsided, listening in on this side conversation. Sedna chimed in with, "This is about the Gundestrup cauldron."

Cern nodded, but Dema said, "More about the oak grove, but the cauldron is probably the best place to start." Sedna nodded at that.

Naga said, "You're talking about the place you visited in your dreams together?" 

Dema and Cern both nodded. "We only know it was somewhere in northern Europe," said Dema.

"But possibly near where the cauldron was found," added Cern. "If we find the place, it might help me make sense out of these ancient memories I seem to have."

Sedna nodded again, and said, "If you get to see the actual cauldron, better yet even touch it, that could well bring some things to the surface for you."

"How soon?" Dema asked.

"Well, I don't have any pressing cases to handle right now. That's what got me thinking about actually making the trip. How soon could you get free?"

"We're having a bit of a lull too," she said, "And I have some leave time coming. The sooner the better really."

"Great, I'll make the flight arrangements."

Dema's sister Kore spoke up to say, "Oh! How exciting!"

Sedna got out of her chair and started rummaging through her needlework archives. "I have something here I think you should take along," she said. "Ah, here it is." 

She unfolded an embroidered pattern and handed it to Dema.

"This is beautiful, Grandma! Such an intricate design! You made this?"

"Actually, it belonged to my grandmother. She may have made it, or it may have been passed down to her."

"Such a treasure! Are you sure you want me to take it along?"

"It's yours now. Cern has his torc, you should have this."

"What does it mean?"

"The pattern is of Celtic origin, ancient Ogham, or even more ancient runes. But that doesn't matter. Let it speak to you."

Dema nodded that she understood.

Dema's mother Naga spoke. "If I understand the spirit in which Sedna gives you that embroidery, then I have something for you too." She unpinned the caduceus from her lapel and handed it to Dema. 

"As a student and even as an intern I never paid much attention to the symbolism of this," she said, "But I've come to believe that the entwined snakes reflect an ancient recognition of entwined strands of DNA molecules, and on an even more fundamental level the entwined filaments of electromagnetic energy that form the plasma vortex, an aspect of the organization upon which physical reality is built. In a sense, it speaks to me now, and may speak to you as well."

Again Dema accepted the token and nodded her understanding. Carefully wrapping the little pin in the folds of the cloth, she thanked them and promised to keep both tokens in her handbag.