A woman physician and scientific clinician from a prestigious Melbourne hospital, travels to an international congress in Istanbul in May 2014, to deliver a groundbreaking paper in the battle against cancer. This event occurs just as nearby ISIL bursts into world attention She is drawn into a web of intrigue between vying drug companies, the unexpected consequence is a spirited three day debate between herself, an Arab financier, a Syrian middleman, and Turkish carpet retailer on Near and Middle Eastern history and the entanglements within Islam and Christianity. Each protagonist presents owned history which is examined with interest and skepticism. Under pressure, her vigorous defense of Western liberal values is accompanied by the rediscovery of feelings long buried by her demanding life in the care of nature's victims.