Lion, Tiger, Bear | 363 like giant stands of hair, she said. Somethings not right, Ferdinand, said Gerlach, gazing upwards. My instincts tell me that. I hate to agree with you, but I will, muttered Porsche, checking his pocket watch. No sun, no sense of time, only twilight. By the way, how much water do we have, Rodgers? Id like a hot spritz bath. No chance. Bernie strained his eyes ahead. 2500 liters, we need drinking water, not…whats that to the starboard, Bea? Bea slowly plowed through the hanging forest, the vines parting. Not sure. Ill get closer. Through the fog, they could just make out what looked to be a vertical cliff. Suddenly, the Bear bumped into a brown rubbery substance that filled their entire view. What in Gods gritty… Im no expert in geology or forestry, but that looks like wrinkled bark, mused Gerlach. Bernie grabbed the railing. Its a tree! A giant tree! Christ, it looks almost like a Redwood in California, only much bigger. Bea, float up a few hundred meters to the canopy.The fog began to thin. Bea eased up on the lift lever. It must be three hundred meters in width. That branch is as big as this ship, said Bea. Check out those needles, long and thin like canoes. A Sequoia of some sort, pinecones as big as a Volksauto,said Porsche. Imagine a cross section of the trunk. Or it being a Christmas tree! said Alice, snapping away. I could ring up Saks Fifth Avenue, see if they could cobble up some sizeable gifts and silk bows. Wheres Paul Bunyon when we need him? asked Bea. This might be a daft idea, but how about an expedition onto one of the branches? We could all use a fresh-air kip and tea. Shafer and Geer arrived. Shes right, Rodgers, said Shafer. We should make use of our being lost while we can. Scientific wonders are not to be ignored. Agreed, said Geer. We are all exhausted. Ernst and I will check the surface for safety. Poisons maybe present. Bernie clapped his hands and rubbed them. All right, not a bad suggestion. Lets don jackets and bring our friend Klemp along. Maybe a little nature will be good for him. Geer gave the all-clear sign with his hand.