Nikola turned into the driveway. It was mostly dirt with two strips of concrete that led to a one-and-a-half car garage in the backyard of his modest house. The drive had taken just under three hours to the town, but he'd driven around for a half hour to find the shopping areas, small hospital, and the side street indicated on the address he'd been given.
He left the car parked next to the house and went to the door to try the key. It worked, with a little encouragement, and he went in and explored. The house came mostly furnished; he was unimpressed by what he saw, but the slightly shabby not very expensive couch and chairs in the living room were probably in keeping with his new persona. Besides the nice-sized living room, there was a small empty room that he could use as a study or library or something, and a large kitchen/dining area, and a cubbyhole half bath. Upstairs there were two bedrooms and a full bath. He checked the full basement. There was quite a bit of room left over from the furnace and hot water heater, partially occupied by a refrigerator that he plugged in and an old wooden workbench in one corner.
He retrieved his suitcases from the car and dumped them in the larger bedroom. He got out a small notebook and started making a list of what he would need to buy immediately. He wasn't used to doing his own shopping, especially for things like linens, toilet paper, and soap, so he really did need the list.
The town had a Super Store, and he piled a cart high with housewares and basic necessities before he checked out. At the grocery he picked up a couple of bottles of unprepossessing wine, tea bags, paper and cleaning products, and bottled water. The rest of his food shopping would be done at the hospital.
The hospital staff was prepared for him. False medical records had been sent ahead showing he had a rare condition that prevented him making sufficient blood on his own, and he was to be provided whole blood and plasma on demand. The records made it clear he would be administering it to himself. He picked up what he needed, declining an offer of needles and IV equipment, just saying he had his own supply.
He could have done just as easily with animal blood, but a continuing need for it would have been hard to explain, unless he took up practice as a veterinarian. He had passed on that option; teaching high school was far less messy.
He spent the rest of the day putting the house in order, putting his clothes away, and finally garaging his car. He walked around the back yard a little; eventually he was going to need a lot of yard equipment to maintain it, or hire someone. He resolved to try to hire someone, mowing the lawn wasn't at all an attractive prospect. He had bought a snow shovel though; he knew he would still need it in Wisconsin in early March. There were unmelted mounds and patches of it and there would surely be more before spring.
He was only three or four blocks from the high school, but it was late afternoon already. He would go over in the morning and report in. For the rest of the semester he would be replacing an older man who had had a mild heart attack and decided to retire immediately. Or perhaps he had been bribed, spent a little time pretending to recover in the hospital, and then moved to Arizona. Nikola didn't know and didn't care.
He poured himself a glass of wine, put on his new overcoat, and went out and sat on the front porch on an Adirondack chair he had thoroughly cleaned, watching his neighbors come home from work and school. He didn't particularly want to be friends with them, but he was bored and didn't want to become the neighborhood mystery man either.
A large black sedan drove slowly past the house, and he recognized the driver as one of the agents that had been on the plane with him, with the other agent seated next to him. Both of them stared at him as they passed, and he raised his glass to them but got no reaction in return.
From the neighbors he got some curious looks and a wave or two, which he returned. When the man next door came home, he parked in his drive and walked over and said "Hi there, you just move in? Welcome to the neighborhood, I'm Ben Johnson."
Nikola set down his glass, got up, came down from the porch and shook hands. "I'm Nick Macak, I'm going to be teaching at the high school."
That was all Nikola had to say; Ben told him he worked as a grinder at a local tanker plant, had two children in grade school, complained about the neighbor on the other side of him who never got all the ice off of his sidewalk and another across the street that was too nosy.
Nikola nodded in the right places, and eventually Ben's wife stuck her head out of the door and said supper was ready. She was quickly introduced as Judy, and they both went in and left Nikola to go back to his porch.
The excitement, such as it was, was over though. The street was empty as people went inside to eat their dinners, so Nikola went in and had a pint of plasma himself. He turned on the radio for an hour to get the news, and then read a couple of scientific journals until late. He made up his bed, amused by the activity done by hotel maids for him for so many years, and quite sure he wouldn't find it amusing when he had to do it over and over again.
It was a little after eleven when he went to bed; all the other houses on the street were already dark.
He woke early, as he usually did, and decided to walk to the high school. He put on his overcoat, fedora, and gloves, and strolled down the street. As he approached the school, there were a few students entering and cars pulling into the parking lot. He found the office and went in, and told the receptionist who he was.
He had to wait for a few minutes, but then he was greeted by the assistant principal, a Mrs. Davis. She took him into her office and gave him what he was sure was a canned speech about how wonderful the school and the town were. She kept calling him "Mr. Macak". He considered correcting her, but perhaps it was better to let the doctorate slide into the background; he didn't want to stand out from the other teachers.
Eventually she got around to pertinent information. "Our science department is headed by Miss Peters, who teaches chemistry and biology. Mr. Riley is our general science teacher, and also teaches shop. You will have physics and geology, and could you manage one of the mathematics classes? As it is, poor Mr. Allen doesn't even get a lunch period."
"Yes, I can teach any math class you wish. Physics of course is my subject, and I could handle engineering if you wish, but I have absolutely no background in geology."
"Oh, don't worry about that, you will have the teacher's manual, and you only need to stay one step ahead of the students. We don't really have an engineering program, but perhaps we could offer an introductory class next year. Let me see, would you prefer fourth period lunch and fifth period algebra, or fifth period lunch and fourth period geometry?"
"Whichever is more convenient for Mr. Allen is fine with me."
"Good, then you will have Physics I first period, Geology second period, Study Hall monitor third period, lunch fourth period, Algebra fifth period, Physics II sixth period, and Geology seventh period as well. We require our students take a minimum of two years of science, so general science and geology are popular, as well as biology. I'm afraid we don't have a great many students for your physics classes, but we do like to offer all the sciences. Here is your schedule with the room numbers- you will have to change rooms for algebra and study hall- and now let me show you our teacher's lounge and cloakroom."
She showed him where to leave his coat and gave him the teacher's versions of the texts he would be using. He spent the rest of the day observing the classes he would be teaching, following along with the texts. The substitutes were trying, and didn't do badly in geology, but it was obvious to him they didn't know physics at all.
Third period study hall he spent the time reading up on geology. The older woman who had been handling the study hall smiled at him when he arrived, politely excused herself, and didn't return. He didn't care; with his acute hearing, he could catch any whispering, and he made a loud, pointed comment on whatever he heard. The room became very quiet. There was note passing going on, but he let that go; it didn't disturb him or the students who were reading or doing their homework.
Fourth period he had nothing to do, since he didn't eat lunch. He went to the lunch room, but found the odors unpleasant and went to the teacher's lounge. The odors there weren't much better since some of the teachers brought their lunch from home and were eating, but it wasn't as overpowering as the lunch room. Nevertheless he decided he could make most productive use of his time continuing with the geology text, and went back to the physics/geology classroom, currently empty.
He had been reading for nearly a half hour when there was a knock on the open door. He looked up, and found himself drawn to the attractive young woman standing there; he stood up politely.
She was tall and slender and pretty, her long, dark brown hair pulled back and clasped at the neck. She wore a plain, tailored dress with the skirt just below the knee- a little shorter than fashion dictated, but she had the legs for it he decided. Her shoes had low heels and little bows on them. She wore a plain gold necklace, no earrings, and no rings.
"Dr. Macak? I'm Sarah Peters, head of the science department. If you're not too busy, could we talk?"
"Of course." He indicated the geology text. "I'm just doing a crash course in geology."
She came over and sat down at a student desk in front of him, and he sat back down too. She said "I'm sorry about that, but this is a small school and most of us in the more advanced subjects have to double up on some of the more popular classes. That's why I teach biology as well as chemistry, although my Master's is in chemistry. I understand you have a doctorate in physics."
Nikola nodded. He didn't really, except for honorary degrees. When he had started, practical knowledge was far more important than a formal degree. But after so many years, he was well-versed enough in a number of sciences to claim the equivalent of a doctorate; he could certainly debate and out-argue those who actually held the degree, and show them a few things they didn't know as well.
"Well you're most welcome here at Westside High, but I was wondering why someone with a doctorate would choose to come to a small town high school to teach."
Nikola had anticipated the question and had an answer, although not one he liked. "During the war I worked very hard, very long hours on critical projects. You understand I cannot elaborate on that."
"Of course, I understand, someone in your position must have been working on classified projects."
"After a few years, the stress became too much, I began to have . . . problems. I also developed a physical condition, not serious with treatment you understand, that added to my difficulties. At the end of the war, I sought relief, a low stress job that would not tax me physically, but still provide a little challenge. Teaching high school in a small town sounded very good, a chance to relax while still engaging in my field, in a way."
"I see. And here we've gone and given you a full schedule, including a mathematics class. If it's too much, please say so now. As the head of the Science Department, Mrs. Davis should have consulted with me before giving away some of your time to the Mathematics Department."
"No, not at all. I expected to work the full day, and honestly, I am happier busy than with empty time to fill."
She smiled at him then, and it lit up her face. For a moment, Nikola forgot to breathe. He recovered himself, and on impulse asked "Miss Peters, what are the rules about staff interactions?"
She looked at him, puzzled. "Staff interactions? Well, of course I expect everyone to work together and assist each other as needed."
"No, I meant outside of work."
She caught on. "Doctor, if you mean dating, then I would tend to discourage it; it can lead to awkward situations that can interfere with work."
"But it's not against the rules?"
"Not precisely, no."
"I noticed a movie theater in town; would you go with me Friday evening?"
She seemed to be at a loss for words, so he added "Please? I don't know anyone here, and it would give us a chance to get to know one another better as well as make it less lonely for me."
"Well, if it is understood that we would be going as colleagues and that it is not a date, then yes, I will go with you. I live at 303 Elm Street, come by around 6:30; the show starts a little before 7:00."
He looked at her in surprise- she knew when the show started? She seemed to read his mind and said "Small town; the theater has had the same hours since I was in high school myself."
He smiled and said "Thank you, you are very kind, Miss Peters." She smiled back and stood and walked toward the door. "If you have any questions about the school or your classes, feel free to ask me, Dr. Macak."
Nikola kept smiling as she left, restraining himself from offering his first name or trying to move to a closer relationship right now. He had lots of time, there was no hurry, but he found he was really looking forward to Friday.
His reaction to Sarah Peters surprised him. He had been focused on Helen Magnus for so many years. She carried the Source Blood like he did, they had the same need for adventure, for accomplishment, and she was probably going to live a very long time, just as he was.
Sarah Peters was ordinary. An intelligent woman in a small town who would very likely never be famous, travel very far from her home, or in any way live an extraordinary life. And yet, there was something he found very attractive about her. Perhaps it was because she was so very different from Helen that she intrigued him; that could be part of it, but there was more he couldn't put a finger on.
And he wouldn't be seeing Helen for a few years, and she would never know what he had been doing except what he chose to tell her. Somehow, he doubted he would ever tell Helen about Miss Sarah Peters.