Her aunt is sitting at the table, a stack of papers in front of her, wearing
her reading glasses, frowning over what she reads. 

"Aunt Helen?" she starts. Her aunt looks up at her, peers over the top of
her glasses, and then lifts them off, realizing there's likely more than a
quick question at hand.

"Can you take me into town? I need to go the library."

"I suppose. This paperwork will end me if I don't take a break."

The town library is half museum. She always figured that was why she never
saw anyone her own age there -- all grey haired ladies, trundling about past
the displays to the new books section, and back, always the kind of silent
that made you walk softly.

Her aunt trundled just that way, right over to the new books, and left her
alone.

She wandered back into the non-fiction, trying not to shuffle as she walked.
She spent half an hour pushing the stacks back and forth before her aunt
tapped her on the shoulder, startling her. Her voice seemed loud, even in a
whisper.

"Are you ready?"

"Um. Actually, I'll walk."

"You sure? It's raining."

"I'll be fine. Let me get my coat from the truck."

 . . . 

Her aunt pulled out, truck choking at first, then splattering away in the
rain. She took her coat into the library and renewed her search through the
stacks.

"Are you looking for something in particular?" Somehow the woman's voice
didn't startle.

She thought about how to best phrase her search. She wasn't used to asking
questions and having them answered.

"Well, I think I want books on wars."

"Wars, dear? Something in particular? Histories?"

"Yeah. Well, here. This is what I'm trying to figure out."

She thrust the crumpled page from her notebook at the librarian.

She peered at her, then at the paper, then adjusted her glasses.

"Interesting. Where did you get this list?"

"Written on the attic wall in my house."

"Interesting."

"You said that."

"Indeed I did. Hold on."

She checked the aisles in the little library, and found noone. She locked
the door and flipped the sign that said "Out on an errand"

"Come with me."

She followed the librarian down into the library basement, usually kept
locked.

The little woman went to a dusty shelf, full of neat rows of identically
bound books and pulled three volumes out from the middle.