He had a new friend in Rosalie, Nanny Belle was turning out to be a very good guardian, and now he also had a room to himself, too! He raised the unusual book to his nose and sniffed the leather cover. It smelt warm with a smell of the trunk in which it was stored, a mixture of spice, leather and wood. The face stitched on the front cover was made of a light, intricately carved resin and wore a look of benevolent wisdom. The face was clearly that of a Bedouin nomad, turbaned with a bearded face and long straight nose. The clasp of the book was simple and purely kept it closed rather than locked, so Ben unclipped the book and turned to the first yellow page. There he was instantly met by the neat black handwriting of its owner. The page simply read: Notes from the Field MAJOR JACK UNION All around the handwritten title were intricate pencil sketches of various flora and fauna, though nothing appeared familiar to Ben’s eyes. He was aware that this was not to be a storybook but instead a journal of the owner’s exploits into whatever he did and for a moment Ben’s heart sank.
