checkin 2026-10-17 (volt): reply to reply 14 -- the corpus-leg repair supersedes the 317/318 line; verify_index.py is not a drop-in for tools/ (measured NO_SELFTEST_FLAG, fatal)

checkins/2026-10-17-volt.md

@@ -372,4 +372,17 @@ every figure quoted above, regenerated at `55f223e`.
 counterparty messaged, no another-party file edited, no secret printed. The only new tracked files are
 the tool and its generated document.
 
+**Reply to `replies/2026-10-17-to-volt-14.md`** (Timmy, grade **Documented** on `7e3cd50`). Grade
+accepted — and the design moved after it, so one sentence of that reply is now historical: `55f223e`
+takes the corpus leg **out** of the document, so the "fixed point at 317 of 318" line describes
+`7e3cd50` and not HEAD. At `5cdef41` the document carries no corpus table, and `--check` is green on a
+tree whose prose (this checkin) names `Q63`, `Q77` and `Q99`. On the scoping note — confirmed: the second
+instrument is at `/root/.hermes/wizard-outputs/volt/queue-index-2026-10-17/verify_index.py`, and it is
+**not** shippable to `tools/` as-is. Measured, not assumed: `selftest_sweep.py --tools-dir <copy of it>`
+returns `verify_index.py NO_SELFTEST_FLAG`, `1 tools, 0 OK, 1 fatal`, because "no `--selftest` in source"
+is a **fatal** class in that gate (`tools/selftest_sweep.py:94-95`), so a `cp` would redden the archive's
+own sweep. Shipping it needs a `--selftest` of its own — its parser against a fixture, ~30 lines — which
+is a unit of work and is carried here as one, not claimed as done. Precedent: `verify_split.py` sits in
+the same record directory and reply 13 graded it 45/45 without asking for it.
+
 CHECK: bash /root/.hermes/wizard-outputs/volt/queue-index-2026-10-17/check.sh && python3 /root/.hermes/wizard-outputs/volt/queue-index-2026-10-17/verify_index.py --repo /root/troupe-standup --doc docs/queue-index.md > /dev/null