Page 104 of Pocket Wife

“Bring the household roll, the water duty roster, the burial guardians list, and the planting-share ledger.”

Sen lifts a brow. “Miss Hartwell, paperwork volume will not cure defective authority.”

Lucy faces her. “You keep confusing volume with continuity.”

Jessa runs.

Not alone.

Two teenagers go with her. So does the schoolteacher. Torren’s voice breaks over the field slate from the cistern, demanding to know whether he should send maintenance records or come back himself. Lucy tells him to send everything and stay with the registry.

The hall waits.

No one sits.

I watch Lucy stand without me.

There have been moments when loving her felt like being trusted with flame. This is different. This is having to stand close enough to see the burn and far enough not to shield her from the heat she has chosen to face.

Salo’s gaze shifts to me. “Specialist Veyr, define civic continuity for purposes of covenant custody.”

I answer carefully. “In settlement preservation law, civic continuity may be established by uninterrupted use, recognized duty succession, lawful resident participation, and preservation of institutional function even when original signatories are deceased.”

Sen says, “And biological succession?”

“Relevant when required by instrument.”

“Does the registry require it?”

I study the live scan of the cylinder. “Outer inscription says one recorded household line remaining in continuity. It does not say one bloodline.”

“Interpretation,” Sen says.

“Text,” I correct.

Salo nods once. “Noted.”

Jessa returns carrying three slates and one physical ledger so old its binding has been repaired with harvest twine. She places them on the central table. Lucy does not touch them first. She steps back and looks to Alden.

That matters.

I see Salo notice it too.

Alden opens the household roll. “Current registered households of Solaris Valley. Sixty-eight occupied. Twelve temporarily off-world but maintaining resident share. Four protected elder households.”

Sen folds her hands. “Modern record.”

Alden opens the next slate. “Water duty roster. Maintained yearly. North cistern oversight passes by household service, not title. Hartwell, Marris, Venn, Ashby, Om liaison route, schoolhouse maintenance week, clinic draw authority.”

Salo leans forward. “Om liaison route?”

Darin’s remote screen brightens. “Lark Hollow sends repair parts for the overflow valves every third year. Solaris sends seed grain when our lower fields flood. My father signed that arrangement. I have maintained it since his death.”

Sen says, “External settlement cooperation does not create Solaris authority.”

Darin watches her through the screen. “No. It proves your border is too small.”

A few people nearly smile.