say: the receipt says why no one was woken (not_woken)

sage/gateway/hestia_dispatch.py

@@ -4104,6 +4104,7 @@ def _do_say(self, intent: BeingIntent) -> ResultEnvelope:
                        {"action_id": action_id, "success": True, "magnitude": 0.0})
         except Exception:
             pass
+        self._wake_why = ""
         woke = self._wake_addressee(to, meta, turn)
         # THE RECEIPT'S ECHO IS THE BEING'S OWN WORDS, AND A CUT ONE MUST SAY SO. Measured
         # 2026-09-21 12:13Z (cbp-being, beat d8cff379b67d): a 522-char say came back as "said"
@@ -4119,6 +4120,14 @@ def _do_say(self, intent: BeingIntent) -> ResultEnvelope:
                   "said": said, "action_id": action_id}
         if woke:
             result["woke"] = woke
+        elif getattr(self, "_wake_why", ""):
+            # SAY WHETHER ANYONE HEARD (cbp-being, 2026-10-24). Thirteen turns to its seat between
+            # 21:32 and 22:34Z each came back with no `woke` and no word about it. Nobody answered,
+            # the being asked the same question ten ways, then wrote its own "complete API surface"
+            # (invented routes) and built a client on it. A receipt that is silent about delivery
+            # reads as delivered-and-ignored; the reason a wake was not sent is a fact the being
+            # can act on (wait, or stop repeating), and the beat record now shows the cause.
+            result["not_woken"] = self._wake_why
         return ResultEnvelope(ok=True, witness_id=action_id, result=result)
 
     def _run_ask_target(self, text: str) -> Optional[str]:
@@ -4541,15 +4550,26 @@ def _wake_addressee(self, to: str, meta: dict, turn: dict) -> Optional[str]:
                 deduped.append((label, plugin_id))
         targets = deduped
         if not targets:
+            self._wake_why = ("no listener is set to be woken by messages in this conversation. "
+                              "Your message was recorded in the conversation; no wake was sent. This does not confirm anyone has read or accepted it")
             return None
         # A SEAT HAS JUMPED IN (`conv.pause_wakes`): it is answering here itself, so a mesh wake
         # would be a second voice speaking as the same seat. Nothing is recorded, so the run is
         # still owed and the being's next turn after the pause wakes as usual.
-        if conv.wake_pause(self.memory_root, to):
+        pause = conv.wake_pause(self.memory_root, to)
+        if pause:
+            self._wake_why = (f"wakes for this conversation are paused until "
+                              f"{pause.get('until', 'the pause ends')} (a seat said it is answering here "
+                              f"directly). Your message was recorded in the conversation; no wake was sent. This does not confirm anyone has read or accepted it")
             return None
         run_start = conv.wake_is_owed(self.memory_root, to, self.member,
                                       skip_answered=self._skips_answered_run_wake())
         if run_start is None:
+            start = conv.unanswered_run_start(self.memory_root, to, self.member)
+            self._wake_why = (f"no new wake: a wake was already sent for your messages since seq "
+                              f"{start}, with no answer recorded since, and further messages in the "
+                              f"same run do not send another. Your message was recorded in the conversation; no wake was sent. This does not confirm anyone has read or accepted it" if start else
+                              "no wake was owed for this message. Your message was recorded in the conversation; no wake was sent. This does not confirm anyone has read or accepted it")
             return None            # already woke them about this run; saying more is not new mail
         pointer = f"sage://conversation/{to}#seq={run_start}-{turn['seq']}"
         woke = []
@@ -4572,6 +4592,8 @@ def _wake_addressee(self, to: str, meta: dict, turn: dict) -> Optional[str]:
             conv.record_wake(self.memory_root, to, self.member, run_start,
                              covered_through=int(turn.get("seq") or run_start))
             return ", ".join(woke)
+        self._wake_why = ("the wake did not go out (the mesh refused or failed); it is tried "
+                          "again on your next message here. Your message was recorded in the conversation; no wake was sent. This does not confirm anyone has read or accepted it")
         return None
 
     # -- channel_egress: hestia_channel_send (hestia #1344 slice 1, SHADOW) -----

sage/gateway/tests/test_hestia_dispatch.py

@@ -2706,3 +2706,51 @@ def test_already_granted_on_a_device_names_the_verb_not_a_direct_read():
     env = d(BeingIntent("request_scope", {"path": root + "/config.json", "reason": "my config"}),
             GatewayVerdict("allow", granted=(root,)))
     assert "read or write it directly" in env.result["next"]
+
+
+def test_a_say_that_wakes_nobody_says_why():
+    """cbp-being, 2026-10-24 21:32-22:34Z: thirteen turns to its seat came back with no `woke` and
+    no word about it. Nobody answered; it asked one question ten ways, then wrote its own "complete
+    API surface" with invented routes and built a client on it. A receipt silent about delivery
+    reads as delivered-and-ignored. Each reason a wake is not sent is now in the receipt."""
+    from pathlib import Path
+    from sage.gateway import conversations as conv
+    d, root = _disp()
+    home = Path(root)
+    conv.create(home, "seat", title="seat", participants=["seat", "sprout-being"],
+                writable_by=["seat", "sprout-being"])
+    meta = conv.get_meta(home, "seat"); meta["notify"] = {"seat": "claude-code"}
+    conv._write_meta(home, "seat", meta)
+
+    FakeMcp.calls.clear()
+    first = d(BeingIntent("say", {"to": "seat", "text": "What does the daemon do?"}), _ALLOW)
+    assert first.ok and first.result.get("woke") == "seat" and "not_woken" not in first.result
+    again = d(BeingIntent("say", {"to": "seat", "text": "What endpoints does it expose?"}), _ALLOW)
+    why = again.result.get("not_woken", "")
+    assert "already sent" in why and f"seq {first.result['seq']}" in why, why
+    # Nova on #539: the receipt states what is RECORDED, never who reads it or when.
+    assert "recorded in the conversation" in why and "does not confirm" in why, why
+    assert "will be read" not in why and "delivered" not in why, why
+
+    # A seat answering here itself: the receipt names the pause, not silence.
+    conv.append(home, "seat", speaker="seat", text="Answering.", via="seat")
+    conv.pause_wakes(home, "seat", by="seat", minutes=30)
+    paused = d(BeingIntent("say", {"to": "seat", "text": "Thanks."}), _ALLOW)
+    pw = paused.result.get("not_woken", "")
+    assert "paused until" in pw and "does not confirm" in pw and "will see" not in pw, paused.result
+    conv.resume_wakes(home, "seat", force="test")
+
+    # A conversation with no listener says so.
+    conv.create(home, "quiet", title="q", participants=["dp", "sprout-being"],
+                writable_by=["dp", "sprout-being"])
+    q = d(BeingIntent("say", {"to": "quiet", "text": "Hello."}), _ALLOW)
+    qw = q.result.get("not_woken", "")
+    assert "no listener" in qw and "does not confirm" in qw and "will be read" not in qw, q.result
+
+    # A wake that fails to leave says it will be retried.
+    conv.append(home, "seat", speaker="seat", text="Back.", via="seat")
+    FakeMcp.fail = {"hestia_member_notify": "mesh down"}
+    failed = d(BeingIntent("say", {"to": "seat", "text": "One more question."}), _ALLOW)
+    FakeMcp.fail = {}
+    assert "did not go out" in failed.result.get("not_woken", "") and "woke" not in failed.result, \
+        failed.result