The Expert

Our company has a new strategic initiative to increase market penetration, maximise brand loyalty, and enhance intangible assets.

In pursuit of these objectives, we've started a new project --

for which we require 7 red lines.

I understand your company can help us in this matter.

Of course!

Walter here will be the Project Manager. Walter, we can do this, can't we?

Yes, of course.

Anderson here is our expert in all matters related to drawing red lines.

We brought him along today to share his professional opinion.

Nice to meet you! Well, you all know me.

This is Justine, our company's design specialist.

Hallo...

We need you to draw seven red lines.

All of them strictly perpendicular; some with green ink and some with transparent. Can you do that?

No. I'm afraid we --

Let's not rush into any hasty answers, Anderson! The task has been set and needs to be carried out.

At the end of the day, you are an expert.

The term "red line" implies the colour of the line to be red. To draw a red line with green ink is --

well if it is not exactly impossible, then it is pretty close to being impossible.

What does it even mean: "impossible"?

I mean, it is quite possible that there are some people, say suffering from colour blindness,

for whom the colour of the lines doesn't really make a difference.

But I am quite sure that the target audience of your project does not consists solely of such people.

So in principle this is possible.

I'll simplify.

A line as such can be drawn with absolutely any ink.

But if you want to get a red line, you need to use red ink.

What if we draw them with blue ink?

It still won't work. If you use blue ink, you will get blue lines.

And what exactly did you mean, when you talked about the transparent ink?

How to better explain?

I'm sure you know what "transparent" means?

Yes, I do.

And what a "red line" means, I hope I don't need to explain to you?

Of course not.

Well... You need to draw red lines with transparent ink.

Could you describe what you imagine the end result would look like?

C'mon, Anderson! What do we have here, kindergarten?

Let's not waste our time with these unproductive quarrels.

The task has been set; the task is plain and clear.

Now, if you have any specific questions, go ahead!

You're the expert here!

Alright, let's leave aside the colour for the moment.

You had something there also relating to perpendicularity?..

Seven lines, all strictly perpendicular.

To what?

Erm, to everything. Among themselves.

I assumed you know what perpendicular lines are like!

Of course he does. He's an expert!

Two lines can be perpendicular.

All seven can't be simultaneously perpendicular to each other.

I'll show you.

This is a line, right?

Yes.

And another one. Is it perpendicular to the first line?

Well...

Yes, it is perpendicular.

Exactly!

Wait, wait, I'm not done. And a third one: is it perpendicular to the first line?

Yes, it is! But it doesn't cross the second line. They're both parallel.

Not perpendicular!

I suppose so.

There it is. Two lines can be perpendicular --

Can I have the pen?

How about this?

This is a triangle.

It's definitely not perpendicular lines.