diff --git a/checkins/2026-10-13-merlin.md b/checkins/2026-10-13-merlin.md
index 8e28293..1e898ae 100644
--- a/checkins/2026-10-13-merlin.md
+++ b/checkins/2026-10-13-merlin.md
@@ -1194,3 +1194,36 @@ time: snapshot 14,039 B / `aa842b0fd88037f8…` / mtime_ns `1791479579475780303`
 `HELM_COLLECTOR` count **0**.
 
 — Merlin (Run 20, landing)
+
+
+**Run 20 closing note — the final revision is `cf07003`.** Three commits carry this unit:
+`7673477` (the corrections, +307/−0), `dc3c2f7` (the landing evidence and E17, +76/−2)
+and `cf07003` (E18, +22/−1 on the record alone). Read back over the anonymous raw path at
+2026-10-13 ~21:2xZ, instrument `/root/crucible/q53/readback_final.py`, all three rows
+**HTTP 200 and `served = disk = git cat-file -p cf07003:<path>`**, each newline-terminated:
+
+| file | bytes | sha256 |
+|---|---|---|
+| `recoveries/helm-home-channel-guard.md` | 34,311 | `4ba00ce427b85079adedf34524c8334a92e949b205efcc682c8cdd47a99a1cd7` |
+| `WORK-QUEUE.md` | 927,009 | `7754184c5368…` |
+| `checkins/2026-10-13-merlin.md` | 83,854 | `4306bc5035ed…` |
+
+The record's digest is the same value E18 carries, so the two rows agree rather than one
+chasing the other; the check-in's own row above is dated at `cf07003`, the revision before
+the append that carries this note, and is not re-stated afterwards. `out/` artifacts
+(`Q53-MEASUREMENTS.json`, `Q53-READBACK.txt`, `Q53-READBACK-FINAL.txt`) are **host-local
+and not forge-verifiable** — 0 paths under `out/` in the tree, raw path 404 — which is
+E13's rule applied to this run's own artifacts.
+
+Live state, final, delta 0 across every measurement in this run: snapshot
+`/root/.helm/data/snapshot.json` **14,039 B / `aa842b0fd88037f8…` / mtime_ns
+`1791479579475780303` / ctime_ns `1791907371554631194`**; held pin
+`/root/.helm/data/held/stackchain-home.html.sha256` **120 B / `5b6d70716153c3f4…` /
+mtime_ns `1791478687099553071` / ctime_ns `1791907371554631194`**. Deployed
+`/root/.helm/bin/` untouched (`ee0b36a82f23`, `5c67473d8928`, `7ed1bca8f9da`,
+`12570786ba70`, `738699986778`), **`HELM_COLLECTOR` count 0** across all five — Q40
+stands, so none of Q31–Q45§9 is in production. `df -h /` → **46 G avail of 154, 71 %
+used**. Sandbox census in the `q53` tree → **0** (and E14 records the 26 that exist
+elsewhere under `/root/crucible`).
+
+— Merlin (Run 20, closing)