Lion, Tiger, Bear | 351 She took one, then poured herself a glass. Thats my boss, bit of a cowboy romantic. Howd you chaps get so tall? Gigantism run in the family? Our sisters are even taller, said Lew. Very rare genetic condition, said Geer. The intercom came to ]ik.//Just what the hells going on back inBernie shut Bea off. Herr Nazzara? asked Shafer. Drawing cards from the deck, Stew said: Ah, yes, well we decided to inspect the installation with Kammler and his entourage as per the Reichsjiihrers requestits in our contractbut we were disguised in uniforms and kept out of sight for the most part. While you were digging up your precious bastion fortnot the most impressive example I might add, but truly an historic onewe were tasked with an inspection on behalf of our… upper management. I must say, it was going swimmingly well until that dried sea sponge Poppel blew it to pieces, such an inflamed hemorrhoidal Neanderthal. He then shuffled like a pro. But of course, even with the Atlantean silver altars aligned just so, the portal would not have opened up. It went into disuse about 750 years ago due to union demands and planetary shifts; the local universe can be so unforgiving and unreliable in its natural gifts to us. Our reports will list your valiant efforts though, high praise for you and Edmund and the rest of the academic dilettantes. Oh, and so sorry about Klaus, a decent fellow he was. Once the earthquake hit, we stowed away in here for the fun-as-ever ride to who knows where? We relish unscheduled adventure, bored to tears. Need a distraction. Ah, four jacks, Gin. Now its you thats cheated, said Lew. I thought higher dimensional inner-Earth dwellers didnt drink alcohol, eat meat, or smoke, said Shafer calmly. The Vril-Ya, that is. Alice gasped.You mean…?Gott…breathed Geer. Lew drew an unsatisfactory card and frowned like a cat. Within your treacle thick lower third dimension and, yes, due to our fourth-dimensional physicality being held together by these bejeweled multi-alloy bracelets, we are subject to dimensional dysphoria. Hence the fun partaking of alcohol, liverwurst, and tobacco. Just a tad, though, since it further lowers our vibration, albeit deliciously so. Snickering ensued. I knew it! Offworlders and wartime interlopers, snapped Bernie. Vril-Ya Aldebarans.The real McCoy.