Prompt from Ennui Enigma: Relate a story from Holmes' university days when he was still finding his career choice

"Where did this come from?" Sherlock Holmes asked.

"What's that?" Professor Richards asked, setting aside Prince Hamlet's cloak to look at the object in Sherlock's hand. "Alas, poor Yorick!" Professor Richards laughed. "Regrettably, Mr. Holmes, I did not know him well. That skull has been part of this production since well before I was a student here. Legend says he was one of the directors who did not wish to be parted from the theatre."

"Really?" Holmes said and spun the skull to have a closer look at its underside. Holmes was a bright student and showed real promise on the stage. Perhaps he would become an actor, but his tendencies leaned more towards music and chemistry. An odd combination. "I do not think that legend is correct, Professor."

"And why not?" Richards asked, narrowing his eyes and donning his pince-nez.

"For one thing, sir, this is not the skull of a man," said Holmes. He rotated the skull again and ran his finger along the jawbone which was wired to the cranium.

"A skull is a skull, Mr. Holmes," Richards scoffed. "Both men and women have them."

"Of course, sir, but there are differences," said Holmes sedately.

"How can there be?" Richards demanded.

"Well, Professor, there are other differences between men and women," Holmes pointed out.

Richards scowled.

"I am not intending to be disrespectful, sir!" Holmes straightened in his chair, expression alarmed.

"What are you intending, then?" Richards asked. He let his temper cool. Holmes frequently said things undiplomatically, never giving them a thought.

"Only, sir, you see I was reading Sheldon last week. He was an anatomist."

"I see," Richards said. "Go on."

"In his book he has a number of illustrations. One shows the primary ways to distinguish a man's skull from a woman's. The taper of the jaw, the shape of the eye socket, the brow ridge and even the thickness of the bone."

"I see," Richards said. He found a seat in the chair beside Holmes's and regarded the old skull with greater interest. "So this is a woman's skull, eh?"

"I believe so, sir," said Holmes.

"What else can you tell from it? Any notion of how old it is?"

"That is somewhat problematic," said Holmes, returning his attention to the skull. "I do not think it was in the ground for very long. Unfortunately, it has been cleaned many times over the years."

"I dusted it just last week, in fact," said the professor with a smile. "What else?"

"I think she was murdered."

"Ha!" Richards laughed wheezily for several seconds, finally turning indulgent and amused eyes upon Holmes. "How could you possibly determine that from just a skull?"

"Here, sir." Holmes rotated the skull once again, displaying the underside. "See this mark on the inside of the jaw?"

"Probably done when they dug her up," Richards said. "Shovel caught her there. That's all."

"No sir," Holmes said. "A shovel would have scored a wider channel in the bone and doubtless would have fractured the jaw. This is a very narrow slice, done while the bone was still malleable. Or, perhaps that is not the correct word. The bone was still alive, is what I mean. Dead and dried bone tends to crack and chip. Living bone slices or breaks."

"You have studied this?" Richards asked, impressed with the lad's knowledge.

"Not in depth, sir," Holmes admitted. "I spent some time helping my parent's cook in the kitchen. When she prepared beef or pork I watched how she cut the meat and how she dealt with the bones."

"You are a very curious lad. A single cut does not a murder make, though. What other signs tell you this poor girl was murdered?"

"Other signs?" Holmes suddenly seemed confused. The expression made him look much younger than a moment before. "All I have found is this cut in the jaw. It's the angle of the cut that suggests it was a murder. A sharp blade thrust through the neck, severing the carotid artery would make this kind of cut."

"Or it could have been the result of a clumsy prosector," Professor Richards said, the corner of his mouth curling. "Do you really think it wise to jump to a conclusion from one little clue?"

After a long moment of hesitation, Holmes nodded and said, "I take your point, Professor. I was making the evidence conform to a theory."

"Well, never mind, lad," Richards said, clapping Holmes upon the shoulder. "We need to finish preparing the props for rehearsal. Only another week before opening night."

"Yes!" said Holmes, setting aside the skull and rising. "I only hope my fencing is up to the final act."

"You will make a fantastic Laertes, Mr. Holmes."

"You really think so?"

"I think you would make a fantastic anything. Come on. Work to do."