The Thirteen Problems - Agatha Christie [7]
‘He pointed with his hand. That particular part of the country was bare enough—rocks, heather and bracken, but about a hundred yards from the house there was a densely planted grove of trees.
‘ “That is a relic of very early days,” said Haydon, “The trees have died and been replanted, but on the whole it has been kept very much as it used to be—perhaps in the time of the Phoenician settlers. Come and look at it.”
‘We all followed him. As we entered the grove of trees a curious oppression came over me. I think it was the silence. No birds seemed to nest in these trees. There was a feeling about it of desolation and horror. I saw Haydon looking at me with a curious smile.
‘ “Any feeling about this place, Pender?” he asked me. “Antagonism now? Or uneasiness?”
‘ “I don’t like it,” I said quietly.
‘ “You are within your rights. This was a stronghold of one of the ancient enemies of your faith. This is the Grove of Astarte.”
‘ “Astarte?”
‘ “Astarte, or Ishtar, or Ashtoreth, or whatever you choose to call her. I prefer the Phoenician name of Astarte. There is, I believe, one known Grove of Astarte in this country—in the North on the Wall. I have no evidence, but I like to believe that we have a true and authentic Grove of Astarte here. Here, within this dense circle of trees, sacred rites were performed.”
‘ “Sacred rites,” murmured Diana Ashley. Her eyes had a dreamy faraway look. “What were they, I wonder?”
‘ “Not very reputable by all accounts,” said Captain Rogers with a loud unmeaning laugh. “Rather hot stuff, I imagine.”
‘Haydon paid no attention to him.
‘ “In the centre of the Grove there should be a Temple,” he said. “I can’t run to Temples, but I have indulged in a little fancy of my own.”
‘We had at that moment stepped out into a little clearing in the centre of the trees. In the middle of it was something not unlike a summerhouse made of stone. Diana Ashley looked inquiringly at Haydon.
‘ “I call it The Idol House,” he said. “It is the Idol House of Astarte.”
‘He led the way up to it. Inside, on a rude ebony pillar, there reposed a curious little image representing a woman with crescent horns, seated on a lion.
‘ “Astarte of the Phoenicians,” said Haydon, “the Goddess of the Moon.”
‘ “The Goddess of the Mooon,” cried Diana. “Oh, do let us have a wild orgy tonight. Fancy dress. And we will come out here in the moonlight and celebrate the rites of Astarte.”
‘I made a sudden movement and Elliot Haydon, Richard’s cousin, turned quickly to me.
‘ “You don’t like all this, do you, Padre?” he said.
‘ “No,” I said gravely. “I don’t.”
‘He looked at me curiously. “But it is only tomfoolery. Dick can’t know that this really is a sacred grove. It is just a fancy of his; he likes to play with the idea. And anyway, if it were—”
‘ “If it were?”
‘ “Well—” he laughed uncomfortably. “You don’t believe in that sort of thing, do you? You, a parson.”
‘ “I am not sure that as a parson I ought not to believe in it.”
‘ “But that sort of thing is all finished and done with.”
‘ “I am not so sure,” I said musingly. “I only know this: I am not as a rule a sensitive man to atmosphere, but ever since I entered this grove of trees I have felt a curious impression and sense of evil and menace all round me.”
‘He glanced uneasily over his shoulder.
‘ “Yes,” he said, “it is—it is queer, somehow. I know what you mean but I suppose it is only our imagination makes us feel like that. What do you say, Symonds?”
‘The doctor was silent a minute or two before he replied. Then he said quietly:
‘ “I don’t like it. I can’t tell you why. But somehow or other, I don’t like it.”
‘At that moment Violet Mannering came across to me.
‘ “I hate this place,” she cried. “I hate it. Do let’s get out of it.”
‘We moved away and the others followed us. Only Diana Ashley lingered. I turned my head over my shoulder and saw her standing in front of the Idol House gazing earnestly at the image within it.
‘The day was an unusually hot and beautiful