Molly will also take piano with Mr. Clementi, and organ with Mr. Pipes.
Roderick has Logic, Rhetoric and Math with Molly and Megan, but needs to settle his electives. Mr. Smoot wasn't too encouraging about Political Economy, so last week he sat in on Mr. Rothschild's History of Banking class. He decides to visit Mr. Rothschild in his office.
"Excuse me, Mr. Rothschild?"
"Yes." It's a statement, not a question.
"My name is Roderick Smith."
"Uh-huh."
"I'm interested in a career managing investment portfolios, and I was wondering if I should take your class."
"Of course you should take my class. Everyone should take my class."
"Do you think it will help my career?"
"How could I possibly know that? I'm a professor, I study banking."
"But isn't college supposed to get me started in a career?'
"Pish posh. You come to Old Ivy to learn stuff. Then when you leave, you will go and learn entirely new stuff. That's how it works."
"That doesn't sound very efficient."
Mr. Rothschild shrugs. "What can I do? I'm a professor, I study banking."
Roderick decides to take the class.
In the afternoon, Roderick helps Megan with Logic, a truly Sisyphean task. Mr. Spinoza believes in teaching logic by immersion, requiring students to complete endless syllogisms. They are working on Aristotelian categorical propositions. Roderick writes an example for Megan:
Major premise: All humans are mortal.
Minor premise: All Greeks are humans.
Conclusion: All Greeks are mortal.
"Now you try." He hands Megan the pen. Megan writes:
Major premise: Men like buxom women.
Minor premise: Megan is buxom.
Conclusion: Roderick likes Megan.
"Hmmm", says Roderick. "Not quite. The correct conclusion is 'Men like Megan'."
Megan giggles. "Yes, that's true."
"Now to make your syllogism correct," Roderick continues, "the major premise would have to be 'Roderick likes buxom women'."
"That's true, isn't it?" says Megan, alluringly. Roderick notices, again, that the top two buttons of her blouse are unbuttoned, revealing...well, you know.
Roderick avers that he does, in fact, like buxom women, though this in no way detracts from his feelings for Molly, who is not buxom.
"Want to spend a little time under the Kissing Tree?" asks Megan, coyly.
"Let's finish these syllogisms", says Roderick, without committing to subarboreal love.
Later that evening, in bed side by side with Molly, Roderick traces his finger down her figure from shoulder to hips.
