Prepare v18.1.0 release

ARCHITECTURE.md

@@ -8,6 +8,17 @@ If you are learning the product for the first time, start with:
 - [Getting started](docs/topics/getting-started.md)
 - [Querying](docs/topics/querying.md)
 
+## Release posture
+
+`v18.1.0` is the current release target. Architecturally, it closes the v18
+read-model cycle by making `Optic` a runtime noun, making observer reading
+envelopes explicit, naming bounded support planning, and keeping release
+evidence in `CHANGELOG.md` plus the consolidated `docs/topics/` shelf.
+
+The longer release notes live in [CHANGELOG.md](CHANGELOG.md). The runtime
+architecture below describes current implementation boundaries, not aspirational
+roadmap state.
+
 ## System map
 
 ```text

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -5,7 +5,26 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/),
 and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
 
-## [18.1.0] - 2026-06-23
+## [18.1.0] - 2026-06-24
+
+### Release notes
+
+`v18.1.0` is the read-model closeout for the v18 line. `v18.0.0` gave users the
+Worldline-first public surface; `v18.1.0` makes the read side structurally
+honest by reifying `Optic`, validating coherent coordinate-backed optic reads,
+giving observers explicit reading envelopes, and naming the bounded support
+contracts that keep reads from falling back to whole-graph materialization.
+
+The release also sharpens the runtime and operator surface around that model:
+`GraphDiff`, streaming traversal, stream-first materialization, sync pagination,
+signed sync-auth scheme declaration, read-only MCP tools, CAS content encryption
+policy, and merge-conflict classification all move previously fuzzy boundaries
+into runtime-backed artifacts.
+
+Documentation and release evidence now follow the same rule. The live public
+corpus is the root `README.md`, root `ARCHITECTURE.md`, `CHANGELOG.md`, and
+`docs/topics/`; release evidence lives in the changelog and executable gates
+rather than one-off release packets or retired planning documents.
 
 ### Added
 

README.md

@@ -40,6 +40,16 @@ It lets you:
 - Keep provenance attached to values and outcomes.
 - Sync through normal Git transport.
 
+## Latest release
+
+`v18.1.0` is the read-model closeout for the v18 line. It makes `Optic` a
+first-class runtime noun, puts coherent optic reads on the public
+`prepareOpticBasis()` → `coordinate()` → `coordinate.optic()` path, adds
+observer reading envelopes, sharpens bounded support planning, and keeps the
+new consolidated docs topology under an executable guard.
+
+See [CHANGELOG.md](CHANGELOG.md) for the full in-repository release notes.
+
 ## Quick start
 
 ```typescript

docs/topics/README.md

@@ -3,6 +3,13 @@
 Use these pages when you know what `git-warp` is and want the right page for a
 specific task.
 
+## Current release
+
+`v18.1.0` focuses the public docs around the shipped v18 read model: worldlines,
+coordinates, reified optics, observers, bounded support, strands, Git substrate,
+sync, CLI, operations, and troubleshooting. The full release narrative lives in
+the root [CHANGELOG](../../CHANGELOG.md).
+
 ## Start here
 
 - [Getting started](getting-started.md): install the package, open a worldline,

package.json

@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@
     "ratchet:delta": "node scripts/ratchet-delta.ts"
   },
   "dependencies": {
-    "@git-stunts/alfred": "^0.10.3",
+    "@git-stunts/alfred": "^0.10.4",
     "@git-stunts/git-cas": "^6.0.0",
     "@git-stunts/plumbing": "^3.0.3",
     "@git-stunts/trailer-codec": "^2.1.1",

patches/README.md

@@ -4,17 +4,6 @@ This directory contains local modifications to dependencies, managed by [`patch-
 
 ## Rationale
 
-### `@git-stunts/alfred@0.10.3`
-
-- **Issue:** The timeout policy only uses injected clocks, which can leave the
-  default runtime path without a real timer.
-- **Impact:** Production timeout policies need to race against wall-clock
-  timers while tests can still supply deterministic clocks.
-- **Why Patch?** git-warp depends on timeout enforcement before the upstream
-  package has released equivalent system-clock behavior.
-- **Status:** Required until upstream ships the same real-clock fallback and
-  timer cleanup semantics.
-
 ### `@git-stunts/trailer-codec@2.1.1`
 
 - **Issue:** The package ships JavaScript without bundled TypeScript

test/unit/scripts/dependency-hygiene.test.ts

@@ -5,12 +5,10 @@ import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
 const REPO_ROOT = new URL('../../../', import.meta.url);
 
 const PATCH_PACKAGE_FILES: readonly string[] = [
-  '@git-stunts+alfred+0.10.3.patch',
   '@git-stunts+trailer-codec+2.1.1.patch',
 ];
 
 const PATCH_PACKAGE_README_HEADINGS: readonly string[] = [
-  '### `@git-stunts/alfred@0.10.3`',
   '### `@git-stunts/trailer-codec@2.1.1`',
 ];