Free The Skull by Christian Darkin

stays in town enjoying free food, wine and friendship wherever he goes.’ He pulled his lips tight, in what probably passed for a smile. ‘He would not notice if she went on a trip for a couple of weeks.’ He suddenly grabbed William’s wrist. His hand felt like an iron cuff. ‘But no more! For some reason, people look to me when things go missing here. I don’t want questions. You understand?’
    â€˜So you can get it?’
    â€˜Me? I will have nothing to do with this.’ De Cuir paused. ‘The cart is built to be pulled by two heifers. I will leave two for you at our usual place, and I will tell you where to find the cart. Anything you do willbe your own decision. I want to know nothing more about it. You will give me half the money now, and leave the heifers and the rest of the money at the beach, where I will leave the seeds.’ He held out his hand.
    William reluctantly handed over half of the money and De Cuir almost bundled him out of the house, checking up and down the street to make sure they hadn’t been seen before slamming the door shut behind him.
    The barn was just a shed, and its roof was sagging, but there was no lock and no other building close by. William approached cautiously, leading the two mooing heifers DeCuir had left for him, but he soon realised that the Frenchman had been right – the barn was in the middle of nowhere. Until sowing started, nobody was going to make the journey out here to check on the idol in the cart. Certainly, at midnight, he felt sure he’d be undisturbed.
    Inside, he lit a lamp and, sure enough, a little cart stood in the corner. The base of the wagon was old, very old. But its wheels had been replaced with new ones, several times by the look of their fixings. Thecart itself had had rough sacks thrown over it to protect it from bat droppings. He grabbed them and pulled them away. Underneath, a full-sized wooden carving of a lady was built into the wagon as though it was a chair.
    She sat bolt upright at the centre of the wagon, swathed in a deep blue gown and stared straight out towards William. At least, that was what he felt as though she was doing. He couldn’t tell in reality, because her face was completely hidden by a carved veil. Secured by twine, the wooden veil covered both the front and back of her head. In one hand she held a sheaf of wheat, and in the cart around her, carvings of fruit and vegetables were garishly painted. The decoration spilled over onto the sides of the cart where painted and carved leaves and berries intertwined with flowers and ears of corn.
    It was quite a piece of work. Bright, colourful and imposing. Wherever he tried to look, William’s eyes were drawn up to the veil hanging in wooden folds over the goddess’ head. He knew, of course that it was solid wood, that there was no face behind the veil, and yet he felt as though there were eyes behind. He felt as though she was looking down. Watching him hook the cart to the two animals.
    There would probably have been room for William to sit on the goddess’ lap and drive the cart, but somehow he couldn’t bring himself to sit on her. The animals didn’t complain as he led them off.
    The cart track was empty all the way back to the fork where it joined the main road to town. William put out his lamp and covered the Lady with the sacks as he headed on, but he knew he’d still be a fairly odd sight leading two heifers pulling a wagon at this time of night. He only had to stay on the road until it forked again and he could take the fishermen’s route down to the beach, but it felt terribly vulnerable.
    He could see the outlying houses of the town just a field away. Some still had lamps at their windows, and he could see shapes moving about inside. If anyone looked out, they might see a shadow on the road and think it odd enough to come out and check.
    The animals were well enough behaved, but heifers were not quiet by