“I smell wood burning,” Honey began. But Paul interrupted with a shout.
“That must be the house! I can see the steps going up to it. Oh, please, stop the car and let me run up first and tell Uncle Paul who we are!”
“Wait, Paul, wait!” cried his mother, as Horace pulled up at the side of the road.
But the boy was already out of the car with Penny after him. Blackberry ran ahead of them up the steps at the top of which was a stout oak door with stonework all around it and a tall, grim statue looming up beside the entrance. Suddenly Judy recognized it from a picture she had seen of the Hindu god, Shiva. But before she could tell Paul it was not a house but a vault that he had discovered, he was knocking loudly on the door.
Paul knocked loudly on the door
“I don’t really think anyone will answer you,” Judy called. And for some reason it seemed suddenly funny.
“Good heavens!” Honey exclaimed when she saw what it was.
“My sentiments exactly,” agreed Horace. “What a weird place to build a tomb!”
“That’s Shiva, the Destroyer, beside the entrance. And look!” Judy gasped. “There’s been plenty of destruction. You can see that a house once stood over there, but it’s been burned to the ground!”