A Question of Magic by E. D. Baker

in her pocket, she used a rag to scoop out a dab of polish and reached toward Boris.
    â€œYou’re not getting that glop on me!” the skull declared. Rocking from side to side on his post, he turned his face away.
    â€œThat’s fine. I’ll start with the back of your head,”Serafina said, and slapped him with the rag. “Then you don’t have to see it.”
    â€œNo!” cried Boris. “Don’t touch me!”
    â€œI already have,” she said, rubbing the polish on his smooth surface.
    â€œHa-ha! Boris’s getting polished!” chortled Yure.
    â€œBe quiet, you brainless bonehead!” Boris shouted.
    Serafina put another dollop of polish on Boris. “Don’t worry,” she told him. “I’ll polish Yure next.”
    â€œNooo!” Yure wailed. “Not me!”
    â€œThis is horrible!” Boris cried. “This is torture!”
    â€œOh, my. Look at that!” Serafina said, wiping off some of the polish.
    â€œWhat is it? Is something wrong?” asked Boris.
    â€œNothing’s wrong,” Serafina told him. “It’s just that you were looking a little dingy, but now, well … I’ve never seen such a brilliant white before. You really look quite handsome, Boris.”
    â€œThis is an outrage!” declared Boris. “I told you I didn’t … Did you say
brilliant?”
    â€œIt almost hurts my eyes to look at you,” said Serafina. “I can only imagine what you’ll look like in the dark. Of course, you’d look even better if I could polish your front, too.”
    â€œWell,” said Boris, “since you’ve started, you mightas well finish. Just be careful around my eye sockets. They’re my best feature.”
    â€œHe’s letting you do it?” said Krany. His mouth opened so wide in disbelief that his bottom jaw dropped off. “Unh!” he groaned, tilting himself so he could see where his jawbone had landed in the grass.
    Glancing at the incredulous skull, Serafina said, “I’ll pick that up as soon as I finish with Boris.”
    â€œI knew something bad would happen if you polished us,” cried Yure. “My grandfather always said, ‘Never let a woman with a polishing cloth come near your naked skull.’ ”
    â€œHe did not say that,” said Boris, angling himself so Serafina could get all the right spots. “He wouldn’t have said anything like that unless he was bald, and you told me that all the men in your family had lots of hair.”
    â€œWell, he would have said it if he’d thought of it! Look at poor Krany. He must be really suffering.”
    Krany nodded and tried to talk. “Hunh hunh hunh hunh.”
    â€œMaybe I should help him now,” said Serafina, stepping back from Boris.
    Boris tilted himself to glance at her. “No! Don’t stop! You’re almost finished. I’m sure Krany’s fine. Don’t believe a word he says.”
    â€œI don’t think he’s said any actual words,” Serafina told Boris as she began to apply more polish.
    â€œBrilliant white, huh?” said Boris. “Just think, all those years I didn’t want that stuff near me.”
    â€œAnd you called
me
a fool,” Yure grumbled. “Don’t forget,” he told Serafina. “I’m next!”
    By the time Serafina finished polishing the skulls, the sun was setting. She went inside to feed Maks and make her supper. When she was cleaning up afterward, she opened the door to let the cat out and overheard the skulls talking.
    â€œShe’s not half-bad, you know, for a slip of a girl who has no idea what she’s doing,” said Krany.
    â€œAre you kidding? She polished Boris! No one’s ever done that before!”
    â€œShe polished all of us. You should see your face, Yure! It glows in the dark!”
    â€œWe all glow in the dark, Krany. Yourself included! I think it’s