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With one last glance to where Diana had disappeared into the pyramid, Harry shook his head and returned to his countess. “She’s as bad as you,” he said under his breath.

Stella beamed in delight before allowing a titter.

Salman cleared his throat, anxious to continue their tour.

“This, the largest of all the pyramids in Egypt, was built for the pharaoh Khufu. The corners are aligned almost perfectly to the north, the south, the east and the west,” he said waving his hands to indicate the directions.

“The base is seven-hundred and fifty feet on each side, and at its tallest, it was about four-hundred and eighty feet.”

“Was?” Harry questioned.

“It lost its pyramidion —its capstone—” He paused and held his hands in the shape of a small pyramid. “So it is not as tall these days,” he said with a shrug. “About thirty feet of its height is gone.”

“When?” Will asked, his brows furrowed.

“Probably before the Romans invaded,” Salman replied. “Pliny the Elder and others from his time wrote of a platform located at the top, although it is no longer there.”

“What are the blocks made of?” Barbara asked, her gloved hand pressed to one of the large stones making up the base.

“Local limestone. The outer casing, which was made very smooth, was white limestone from Tura and granite from Aswan.”

“But how could they get these huge stones here to even build this?” Barbara asked, noting the size of the blocks that made up the base of the pyramid.

“Ah, by way of a barge on the Nile. The river used to come right here,” he said, pointing to the end of the pyramid. “The river has changed course over the centuries, so it is no longer so close.”

“When you mentioned snakes, were you referring to poisonous snakes?” Helen asked, a look of worry crossing her face.

“Indeed. There are the cobras and the horned vipers and many other vipers which can turn an excellent day into your last if they bite you,” he claimed. “They live here in the desert,” he added, waving to the sands beyond the pyramids.

“I have a pistol with me,” Harry said, loud enough so Will could hear him.

“Are you a good shot?”

Harry shrugged. “I’m good if the target is up close,” he claimed.

Barbara and Stella exchanged looks of shock.

“Follow me, and we will see the other pyramids,” Salman said, waving for them to join him as he made his way along the base of the pyramid and onto the golden-red sandy ground beyond.

“Do those you guide often go inside the pyramid?” Will asked. He was quickly joined by Harry, who walked on the other side of the guide.

“If at least one did not, I would wonder why they came all the way here,” he replied. “You are an explorer, Lord Everly. Surely you understand curiosity?”

“I do, but in my older age, I’ve grown to appreciate self-preservation. Besides, I don’t think I can crouch that low for such a long distance to get through the passageways. My back would protest for at least a week after such an excursion.”

Will nodded in agreement and paused a moment before asking, “What if they don’t come out in an hour?”

“I will send Ari in to get them.”

“Ari?” Will repeated.

Salman indicated the young boy who was holding onto the reins of several camels. “He is small, and he knows all the passageways.”

“How much will it cost me if he must go in after my son and niece?” Will asked, hoping he had enough blunt on him to pay for a rescue.

Once again laughing, Salman said, “Enough for a decent meal.”

Will and Harry exchanged glances of disbelief. “That’s all?”

“These people are poor,” Salman stated. “As it was for those who built these pyramids, they will work for food. A hunk of meat and a beer every day is all they required to build these pyramids.”

“A bargain,” Harry murmured.

“Agreed,” Will said.

“It was an honor to be chosen to help build them,” Salman said. “But it was hard labor. They could not do it for more than a few months before being replaced by others,” he explained. He rounded the corner of the pyramid. “We now go to the back of this one to see the others,” he called out.

Another five minutes passed as they walked and stared out on the desert.

When they reached the back of the pyramid, other large, smooth-sided pyramids were suddenly visible along with several smaller step pyramids.

In the other direction, a group of robed men were clearing sand away from another structure.

“Here is the pyramid of Khafre, the pyramid of Menkaure, and the pyramid of Khentkaus the First. She was a Queen Mother, and her tomb is merely a two-stepped tomb,” he explained.

“Never finished, probably because the original structure was not sound enough to support more blocks.” He waved a hand to indicate part of the desert.

“Imagine boats sailing past these structures.”

“How old are these?” Tom asked.

“Khufu’s pyramid was finished around the year you know as two-thousand-five-hundred and fifty BC,” Salman replied.

“That old?” Barbara asked in surprise.

“These are not the oldest, my lady. The very oldest pyramids are in Memphis, and they are not smooth-walled as these were.”

“The Step Pyramid?” Tom asked suddenly.

“Exactly. And the Bent Pyramid,” Salman confirmed. “They are from twenty-six-hundred BC.”

“Will we see those?” Barbara asked of Will.

He shrugged. “Possibly,” he hedged.

“They are well worth the trip into the desert, but I would recommend you hire several carriages to take you there. For your comfort,” Salman said. “In the meantime, do take the opportunity to walk around the other pyramids.”

As their group broke into pairs, Tom once again offered Helen his arm, which left Randy the odd man out. With one last glance at the south face of the Great Pyramid, he followed the rest as they made their way to the next pyramid.