she looked tired , dark circles under her eyes . jonas laughed again and flipped the knife into the air . having removed the thorns , and peeled off the tough skin , he handed the girl a thick , juicy cactus leaf . i threaded my fingers through hers and , hand in hand , we headed for the car . she certainly doesnt have police , or an army , the way emperors do ! when the doctor approached the chair , dan stepped back to give them a bit of privacy . we will not discuss it here ! 