There was a silence. Then: 'What you are saying,' said Philippa slowly, 'is that the child Khaireddin would be better unfound?' The Dame de Doubtance said nothing. 'Or are you saying,' pursued Philippa, inimical from the reedy brown crown of her head to her mud-caked cloth stockings, 'that you and I and Lymond and Lymond's mother and Lymond's brother and Graham Malett would be better off if he weren't discovered?' 'Now that,' said the Dame de Doubtance with satisfaction, 'is precisely what I was saying.' 'How can I find him?' said Philippa.
In this passage from Pawn in Frankincense, a tense moment occurs during a quiet pause where Philippa confronts the Dame de Doubtance. She questions whether the child Khaireddin would be better kept hidden or if revealing his location would be more beneficial for everyone involved, including herself, Lymond, and their families. The dialogue reveals the complex and clandestine nature of their situation, emphasizing the importance of secrecy and the potential consequences of discovery.
Now that, said the Dame de Doubtance with satisfaction, is precisely what I was saying. Philippa, distressed and uncertain, asks how she can locate Khaireddin. The exchange highlights the moral ambiguity and the strategic considerations they face, suggesting that keeping Khaireddin concealed might be protecting many, but also complicates Philippa's desire to find him. The scene underscores themes of loyalty, secrecy, and the difficult choices they must make.
