The Superiority of Colour

Pliny the Elder glanced across at my sketch of the two Beta Sigma Phi ladies.

A pity it's not in colour, he remarked. I would love to know the colour of the suiting of the one with golden shoes.

How funny you should say so, I replied. Because I happen to know that it was bright red.

Don't tell me you remember, said Pliny, surprised.

No, I looked at my old diary from November 2004, and found the entry for that day. It seems my notebook sketch was merely practice for a detailed colour sketch. It's funny, though....

What's funny?

In the diary, they're wearing hats.

What sort of hats?

I'll show you.

I went to find the diary. I found it. I brought it over to Pliny. I opened it. I showed him the ladies with the hats.

Why have you given them hats? asked Pliny. They didn't have hats in the notebook. Did they wear hats, or didn't they?

I really don't remember, I said. But let us be logical.

How? asked Pliny.

Let us look at the notebook again, I said, and determine whether what looks like hair could be hats.

I went to find the notebook. I found it. I brought it over to Pliny. I opened it. I showed him the ladies with the disputed head toppings.

That one, said Pliny, pointing to the tall one, is definitely not wearing a hat. Now let us examine the other one.

He peered closely at the other Beta Sigma Phi.

Her head ends in two distinct points, he concluded. I am willing to acknowledge that may suggest a hat.

Right, I said. Where does that leave us?