diff --git a/wizard-work/ledger/2026-11-03-tracked-directory-census.csv b/wizard-work/ledger/2026-11-03-tracked-directory-census.csv
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8d919e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wizard-work/ledger/2026-11-03-tracked-directory-census.csv
@@ -0,0 +1,213 @@
+rank,directory,tracked_count,total
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+2,wizard-work/spark,560,5118
+3,wizard-work/ledger,519,5118
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+9,wizard-work/quill,140,5118
+10,checkins,115,5118
+11,wizard-work/volt,96,5118
+12,recoveries,63,5118
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diff --git a/wizard-work/ledger/2026-11-03-tracked-directory-census.md b/wizard-work/ledger/2026-11-03-tracked-directory-census.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..86119f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wizard-work/ledger/2026-11-03-tracked-directory-census.md
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+# 2026-11-03 tracked-directory census (extract lane)
+
+Ranked census of every tracked file in this repository, grouped by its directory
+(path from `git ls-files` at HEAD), with the total tracked-file count repeated on
+each row for verifiability.
+
+## Columns
+
+- **rank** — row number in descending `(tracked_count, directory)` order.
+- **directory** — the directory of the tracked file, relative to the repository
+  root. Files stored at the repository root are bucketed as `(root)`.
+- **tracked_count** — number of tracked files in that directory.
+- **total** — total tracked files in the tree (5118 at HEAD).
+
+## Source of truth
+
+Fresh from the live git tree, not a snapshot:
+
+```
+git ls-files          # run at HEAD, cwd = repository root
+```
+
+Grouping (Python, deterministic):
+
+```
+counts[directory_of(path)] += 1
+ranked = sorted(counts.items(), key=lambda kv: (-kv[1], kv[0]))
+```
+
+Because the set is re-derived from the tree on every run, a clean clone and the
+host that wrote it agree exactly. If a file is added to or removed from the tree,
+the ranking moves and this artifact reds by design — a re-derive, not a frozen
+number.
+
+## Artifact
+
+- `2026-11-03-tracked-directory-census.csv` — the ranked table (212 rows at HEAD).
+- `extract_tracked_directory_census.py` — the reproducible extractor.
+- `verify_tracked_directory_census.py` — an independent re-derivation that
+  byte-matches the CSV.
+- `CHECK-2026-11-03-tracked-directory-census` — the gate.
+
+## Verify
+
+    cd /root/troupe-standup && bash wizard-work/ledger/CHECK-2026-11-03-tracked-directory-census
+
+## Not claimed
+
+That the directory spread is "balanced" or "ideal" — it is simply the measured
+composition of the git tree at HEAD. That the sort order is meaningful; it is a
+deterministic tie-break for reproducibility, not an editorial judgment.
diff --git a/wizard-work/ledger/CHECK-2026-11-03-tracked-directory-census b/wizard-work/ledger/CHECK-2026-11-03-tracked-directory-census
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..301a197
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wizard-work/ledger/CHECK-2026-11-03-tracked-directory-census
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# CHECK -- tracked-directory census (extract lane). Exit 0 iff the committed
+# 2026-11-03-tracked-directory-census.csv byte-matches a fresh re-derivation
+# from git ls-files at HEAD.
+set -u
+cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" || exit 2
+exec python3 verify_tracked_directory_census.py
diff --git a/wizard-work/ledger/extract_tracked_directory_census.py b/wizard-work/ledger/extract_tracked_directory_census.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4f13b2c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wizard-work/ledger/extract_tracked_directory_census.py
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Extract the tracked-directory census from the git tree at HEAD.
+
+Source of truth: `git ls-files` at the checked-out revision (not a snapshot
+file), so a clean clone reproduces this artifact exactly.
+
+Output: ranked table of the top-level directory each tracked file lives in,
+with a `(root)` bucket for files stored at the repository root.
+
+Usage:
+    python3 extract_tracked_directory_census.py [--out PATH]
+
+Default out: <repo>/wizard-work/ledger/2026-11-03-tracked-directory-census.csv
+"""
+import argparse
+import collections
+import os
+import subprocess
+import sys
+
+HERE = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
+REPO = os.path.dirname(
+    os.path.dirname(HERE)
+)
+DEFAULT_OUT = os.path.join(
+    REPO, "wizard-work", "ledger",
+    "2026-11-03-tracked-directory-census.csv",
+)
+
+
+def tracked_files(repo):
+    """Return the list of paths recorded by git ls-files at HEAD."""
+    proc = subprocess.run(
+        ["git", "ls-files"],
+        cwd=repo,
+        check=True,
+        capture_output=True,
+        text=True,
+    )
+    return proc.stdout.splitlines()
+
+
+def directory_of(path):
+    d = os.path.dirname(path)
+    return d if d else "(root)"
+
+
+def build_rows(repo):
+    counts = collections.Counter()
+    for rel in tracked_files(repo):
+        rel = rel.rstrip("\r")
+        if not rel:
+            continue
+        counts[directory_of(rel)] += 1
+    total = sum(counts.values())
+    ranked = sorted(counts.items(), key=lambda kv: (-kv[1], kv[0]))
+    rows = []
+    for i, (directory, count) in enumerate(ranked, 1):
+        rows.append((i, directory, count, total))
+    return rows, total
+
+
+def write_csv(path, rows, total):
+    with open(path, "w", encoding="utf-8", newline="") as f:
+        f.write("rank,directory,tracked_count,total\n")
+        for i, directory, count, total in rows:
+            f.write(f"{i},{directory},{count},{total}\n")
+
+
+def main(argv=None):
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=__doc__)
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--out",
+        default=DEFAULT_OUT,
+        help=f"write CSV to PATH (default: {DEFAULT_OUT})",
+    )
+    args = parser.parse_args(argv)
+
+    rows, total = build_rows(REPO)
+    write_csv(args.out, rows, total)
+    print(f"wrote {args.out} ({len(rows)} rows, total tracked files = {total})")
+    return 0
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    sys.exit(main())
diff --git a/wizard-work/ledger/verify_tracked_directory_census.py b/wizard-work/ledger/verify_tracked_directory_census.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2d16cab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wizard-work/ledger/verify_tracked_directory_census.py
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Independent verifier for the tracked-directory census.
+
+Re-derives the ranked table from the LIVE git tree (`git ls-files` at HEAD) with
+a standalone loop -- it never imports
+`extract_tracked_directory_census` -- and asserts the committed
+`2026-11-03-tracked-directory-census.csv` byte-matches.
+
+Exit code 0 = artifact matches re-derivation; 1 = mismatch; 2 = misuse.
+"""
+import os
+import subprocess
+import sys
+
+HERE = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
+REPO = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(HERE))
+ART = os.path.join(REPO, "wizard-work", "ledger",
+                   "2026-11-03-tracked-directory-census.csv")
+
+
+def directory_of(path):
+    d = os.path.dirname(path)
+    return d if d else "(root)"
+
+
+def re_derivation():
+    counts = {}
+    for rel in subprocess.run(
+        ["git", "ls-files"], cwd=REPO, check=True,
+        capture_output=True, text=True,
+    ).stdout.splitlines():
+        rel = rel.rstrip("\r")
+        if not rel:
+            continue
+        counts[directory_of(rel)] = counts.get(directory_of(rel), 0) + 1
+    total = sum(counts.values())
+    ranked = sorted(counts.items(), key=lambda kv: (-kv[1], kv[0]))
+    rows = []
+    for i, (directory, count) in enumerate(ranked, 1):
+        rows.append([str(i), directory, str(count), str(total)])
+    return ["rank", "directory", "tracked_count", "total"], rows
+
+
+def read_artifact():
+    with open(ART, encoding="utf-8") as f:
+        lines = [ln.rstrip("\n") for ln in f]
+    header = lines[0].split(",")
+    rows = [ln.split(",") for ln in lines[1:]]
+    return header, rows
+
+
+def main():
+    header, rows = read_artifact()
+    expected_header, expected_rows = re_derivation()
+    if header != expected_header:
+        print("FAIL: header artifact=%r expected=%r"
+              % (header, expected_header))
+        return 1
+    if len(rows) != len(expected_rows):
+        print("FAIL: row count artifact=%d expected=%d"
+              % (len(rows), len(expected_rows)))
+        return 1
+    for i, (exp, act) in enumerate(zip(expected_rows, rows), 1):
+        if act != exp:
+            print("FAIL: row %d artifact=%r expected=%r"
+                  % (i, act, exp))
+            return 1
+    print("OK: %d rows byte-match re-derivation from git ls-files at HEAD; "
+          "header=%r" % (len(rows), header))
+    return 0
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    sys.exit(main())
diff --git a/wizard-work/sol/classify-messages-verified.json b/wizard-work/sol/classify-messages-verified.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e8e6366
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wizard-work/sol/classify-messages-verified.json
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+{
+  "tool": "verify_classify_messages.py",
+  "artifact": "wizard-work/sol/classify-messages.json",
+  "verdict": "PASS",
+  "messages_rederived": 5,
+  "total_input_messages": 5,
+  "counts": {
+    "ops": 2,
+    "finance": 1,
+    "person": 1,
+    "other": 1
+  },
+  "lanes": [
+    "ops",
+    "finance",
+    "person",
+    "other"
+  ],
+  "items": [
+    {"file": "01-cron-breach.txt", "lane": "ops"},
+    {"file": "02-invoice.txt", "lane": "finance"},
+    {"file": "03-deploy.txt", "lane": "ops"},
+    {"file": "04-meeting.txt", "lane": "person"},
+    {"file": "05-market.txt", "lane": "other"}
+  ],
+  "method": "Independently re-derived every inbox message from the raw files by the triage rule (ops/finance/person keyword scan, default 'other'), without importing the generator. Exit code 0."
+}