Footprints by Robert Rayner

stops at the dumpster and peers in. He takes out an empty bottle and puts it in his bag. He reaches in for something else and eats it.
    Harper mutters, “Gross.”
    Ed looks in the dumpster again. He puts down his shopping bag, reaches in with both hands, and takes out one of the placards. It’s Isora’s:
Nobody Owns a Beach!
He hoists the placard over his shoulder and marches towards the far side of the post office. They run back across the street and Isora calls, “Ed.”
    He’s at the corner of the building.
    He turns and smiles. “Is-ora.” He points at the placard,stabs it in the air, and keeps going.
    Isora calls again, but he turns the corner. They follow and peer around it. Ed is marching past the police car, his placard proudly aloft.
    Sgt. Chase gets out and says, “Well now, Ed. What have we got here?” He takes the placard from Ed and reads aloud, “Nobody Owns a Beach!” He asks quietly, “Who wrote this for you, Ed?”
    Ed looks at the ground.
    Camera Woman climbs from the car. “Maybe he wrote it himself. Are you sure he’s as stupid as he makes out?”
    Sgt. Chase says, “This is nothing to do with him. He’s harmless. It’s not Ed’s work.”
    â€œWhose, then? And he must have agreed to carry it, which makes him an accomplice in a plan which has the intent to disturb the peace. We should take him in.”
    Isora whispers, “We’ve got to say something.”
    They’re about to move around the corner when Sgt. Chase’s radio suddenly blats into life.
    Sgt. Chase leans in and says, “Go ahead.”
    They overhear, “Eastern Oil...incendiary device...red alert...”
    At the same time someone calls, “Harper!” Mr. Meating has pulled up on the other side of the post office in his half ton. He calls, “I thought it was you I saw running across the street. Come with me, all of you. This is not a good time to be hanging around town.”
    Sgt. Chase is speaking into the radio. He breaks off to tell Ed, “Take off now. I want no more of your foolishness.”
    Ed reaches for Isora’s sign, but Sgt. Chase says, “We’ll keep this.”
    The friends hurry over to Mr. Meating.
    â€œWhat’s up?” Harper asks.
    â€œI was at the club and I heard rumours about some kind of demonstration down here, something to do with Mr. Anderson, and I don’t want you – any of you – mixed up with it. And that’s not all. There’s been another incident in Saint-Leonard and the police are on full alert. They’re saying zero tolerance for any kind of nonsense and anything suspicious.”
    â€œWe’re not doing anything wrong,” says Harper.
    â€œJust in case, I’d like you to stay home, because the police will be all over anyone doing anything out of order, including kids who think they’re just having a bit of fun.” He looks at the trio and adds, “Please, guys. Do me a favour.”
    They crowd into the truck. The news is on the radio. The announcer reports, “The discovery of another incendiary device at the offices of Eastern Oil, this one in a dumpster behind the building, has left police and security personnel on red alert throughout the province. Meanwhile the area around Eastern Oil in downtown Saint-Leonard has been evacuated and cordoned off while bomb disposal experts search the building. Police are asking people to be extra vigilant as they go about their weekend business and to be on the lookout for any unattended packages or bags, and for any kind of suspicious activity. At the same time police announced a zero tolerance policy towards any kind of anti-social behaviour. A police spokesman explained, ‘At a time when citizens are so concerned with law and order, any kind of anti-social behaviour is inappropriate and will be punished to the full extent of the law.’”
    â€œSee what I mean?” says