The German operatives at large

The German operatives at large are the men who escaped Amenemhab's tomb after being identified as the thieves of the Heart of Egypt. Their flight preserves an active threat beyond the tomb: although their identities and part in the theft are exposed, their whereabouts remain unknown and their escape unexplained.

Escape from Amenemhab's Tomb

Three men had been inside Amenemhab's tomb. Theodosia identified Nigel Bollingsworth as one of them, a spy working for the Germans, and told her mother that the men had stolen the Heart of Egypt. When her parents returned to the tomb after getting her out safely, nobody remained there. The men had escaped before they could be found.

The Cost of Their Escape

The escape was especially bitter for Theodosia because she could not understand how the men had got away while she herself was stuck to the wall and had broken legs. By the time she recounted what had happened to Lord Wigmere, she acknowledged that the operatives had escaped and apologized for failing to stop them. Her account makes the flight not a sign that the danger had passed, but a consequence of her being unable to pursue or restrain them while injured.

An Unresolved Threat

Lord Wigmere reacted with agitation, striking the floor with his cane when he learned the men had got away. He suspected they had received help, perhaps from nearby backup, but presented this as a likelihood rather than a confirmed explanation. He told Theodosia that she had served her country in a time of need and saved everyone, while recognizing that not knowing where the fugitives had gone meant they would have to keep watch for them. Their escape thus closes the immediate confrontation without resolving the larger pursuit.