By dawn, the flower stall had become a gathering point.
Customers stood around the buckets, some holding copies of the false clearance. A man sold coffee from a cart beside the curb. He had followed the original vendor schedule and had not seen the relocation notice until he arrived.
Anik climbed onto the low step of an empty stall. Sera stood beside her with Jo’s report and the disputed notice. Tessa stayed near the edge of the crowd, where she could hear questions without blocking the pavement. Eli carried a box of comparison sheets.
“The festival has moved to West Commons,” Anik called. “The decision was made by the organizers and vendor representatives last night.”
The flower seller lifted her copy of the clearance. “The city hasn’t ordered an evacuation. Are you pretending it did?”
“No,” Tessa said. “There is no city evacuation order. The official inspection is scheduled for next week. This is a community precaution based on Jo Varela’s signed survey.”
“Then why should I leave?”
“That’s your choice. We want you to know what the report says and where the festival is being held.”
