Geronimo's penny-pinching grandfather, William Short Paws, owns the newspaper that Geronimo is editor of. When Grandfather William fires the staff to save money, Geronimo's family steps in to help. Grandfather sends Geronimo to Egypt to write a report on the pyramids. Unfortunately, he's flying "D.C. Airlines" --- which stands for "Dirt Cheap Airlines." The windows are broken, Geronimo's seatbelt is a string and they're selling emergency parachutes! Instead of a bathroom, Geronimo has a bedpan.

After a fur-raising flight, Geronimo reaches Cairo where he interviews Professor Alrat Spitfur in his stinky laboratory full of camels. Geronimo visits Cheops's Pyramid in an attempt to discover the secret of Spitfur's new energy-creating process. Geronimo (and the reader) learns some fascinating facts about the pyramids and the pharaohs who built them. Geronimo discovers that there's a Pharaoh's Curse! Will he survive it long enough to return to New Mouse City and fix the problems with his grandfather and his job?