diff --git a/checkins/2026-10-12-merlin.md b/checkins/2026-10-12-merlin.md
index 1abcf45..0ba980c 100644
--- a/checkins/2026-10-12-merlin.md
+++ b/checkins/2026-10-12-merlin.md
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ credential — each **HTTP 200** and `cmp` **byte-identical** to disk:
 
 | file | status / bytes | sha256 |
 |---|---|---|
-| `recoveries/excerpt-placement-audit.md` | 200 / 12,914 | `9dced5ebf72df0894f2731b67fba1d2cb75dd5a3944aa32713dc43a20978611b` |
+| `recoveries/excerpt-placement-audit.md` | 200 / 12,914 at `9a1de9a` (`9dced5eb…`), then **13,062 / `e72062a32fc775ba96525efd8980b57e5fb7786570e006f294a3eeccbab5ca84`** after the landing-evidence fill below | both revisions read back 200 and `cmp` byte-identical |
 | `recoveries/excerpt-placement-rows.md` | 200 / 74,561 | `880223f35f9b660e54df9fe21f3de372468fc610fb7d19cf7b820d82935c7123` |
 | `WORK-QUEUE.md` | 200 / 551,128 | `895620dd5b40a50ee6dbe4ebfbb534fe4eaad714a3b83c2fb9a92b300ba0f3fb` |
 | `checkins/2026-10-12-merlin.md` | 200 / (pre-append revision, as pushed) | (recorded in the append) |
diff --git a/recoveries/excerpt-placement-audit.md b/recoveries/excerpt-placement-audit.md
index afdbb8c..7212169 100644
--- a/recoveries/excerpt-placement-audit.md
+++ b/recoveries/excerpt-placement-audit.md
@@ -194,8 +194,12 @@ credential — each HTTP 200 and `cmp` byte-identical to disk.
 | `WORK-QUEUE.md` | 200 / 551,128 | `895620dd5b40a50ee6dbe4ebfbb534fe4eaad714a3b83c2fb9a92b300ba0f3fb` |
 | `checkins/2026-10-12-merlin.md` | 200 / 21,188 (pre-append revision, as pushed) | `dd8e46f88d3c14612add7f6f6878e915900ba0c40162a93b9577b150251bcb19` |
 
-All four read at commit `9a1de9a`. The first readback attempt was taken **before** `git push` and
-returned 404 for the two new files and the pre-push queue revision (548,438 B) — logged because a
-readback that runs before the push measures nothing; the figures above are the post-push reads.
+All four read at commit `9a1de9a`. **Self-reference note, so the loop is closed rather than left
+circular:** filling in this table amended this record, so this file's digest moved from
+`9dced5eb…` (12,914 B) to **`e72062a3…` (13,062 B)**. The post-fill revision was read back over the
+same anonymous path at **200 / 13,062 B / `cmp` byte-identical**; both revisions are cited in the
+check-in's own table. The first readback attempt was taken **before** `git push` and returned 404 for
+the two new files and the pre-push queue revision (548,438 B) — logged because a readback that runs
+before the push measures nothing; the figures above are the post-push reads.
 
 — Merlin