linovadraws:

‘That’s just common sense. If you comfort children, they think there’s something to be frightened about. If you scold them, they know it’s all right.’
‘This, I see, is thy philosophy for earthquakes,’ said the young man. ‘And for fire, holocaust and plague: what is thy remedy?’
Sitting down on the well’s edge with Jacomo held firm on one knee, Philippa thought. ‘I’m awfully afraid I should just go on scolding. I don’t like the steamy emotions.’
‘Why, what could befall thee?’ said the young man. ‘These are the sweet passions; the frangible arts. Lacking them, thou wilt become as Signor Marino Donati.’
‘Bald?’ said Philippa tartly; and the young man, who was evidently far from simple, at this simple reply dissolved into a cascade of silvery mirth.

-Pawn in Frankincense, Chapter 10

Philippa and Mikal’s interactions are so great and I love how Mikal is immediately like “yes i WILL take this 14 year old girl on a roadtrip with my free-love commune friends, what could go wrONg”