Giza is where Theodosia’s longed-for encounter with the Great Pyramid becomes part of her flight from pursuers. The site first offers a moment of awe: the pyramid rises above the desert as a vast, ancient presence. But the appearance of a motorcar on the sand turns that openness into exposure, and the tram back toward Cairo becomes a means of escape.

Arrival and the Great Pyramid

The tram from Cairo carries Theodosia and Nabir to Giza, where she is delighted to find herself on the way to the Great Pyramids she had hoped to see. After they get off, she is almost reluctant to approach. The age and scale of the monuments humble her; drawn toward them, she walks to the edge of the desert and climbs a sandy slope until the Great Pyramid towers above her.

The visit also brings her close to the pyramid’s interior. At a lower gallery, two corridors lead in different directions. While the other tourists go upward, Theodosia chooses the downward passage, despite its rope barrier. The route is cramped and steep, forcing her to duck; she resists sliding down because it would be disrespectful. She knows that Cheops was buried in the upper chamber, not the one she is entering, and recalls that the pharaoh changed his mind about the burial place during construction. The detail makes the monument feel not only immense but shaped by human decisions and revisions.

From wonder to exposure

The desert landscape changes character when a motorcar crosses the sand, trailing dust. Theodosia has not realized that there are motorcars in Egypt, and the vehicle’s arrival makes her feel vulnerable. Unable to make out how many people are inside, she hurries down from the pyramid’s top, where she could be seen. The elevated view that had made the monument’s scale so impressive has also left her exposed.

The threat becomes more immediate as Theodosia and Nabir near the tram station and see an electric tram beginning to leave for Cairo. With no other tram due for a long while, they risk being left behind. Nabir leaps aboard and reaches back to help Theodosia climb up; she follows, apologizing to the passengers as she gets on.

Recognition and narrative significance

Once the tram is moving, Theodosia can see the men pursuing them. She recognizes von Braggenschnott by the cold eyes she had seen at St Paul's churchyard. The second man keeps his face covered with a scarf, but the third is unmistakably Tetley, whom she knows from the British Museum. Giza therefore marks not only the fulfillment of a wish to see the pyramids but a sharp turn in the journey: a place of ancient grandeur becomes the setting for danger, escape, and the recognition of enemies.