diff --git a/packages/ludic.things/README.md b/packages/ludic.things/README.md
index cfdbb742..0c4a4adf 100644
--- a/packages/ludic.things/README.md
+++ b/packages/ludic.things/README.md
@@ -52,6 +52,9 @@ away Things all day, so `thing_remove` keeps the record and `thing_put` / `thing
 oldest one again - set back as new, with a new `uid` - once 32 are waiting. Hold a Thing across a
 removal only by its `uid` (`thing_by_uid`), never by the record.
 
+A fact's record (`things_facts()`) is kept too: it comes back two drains after it was handed out, so
+read a drained list before the drain after next, and copy what must last longer.
+
 ## The port
 
 Every member has a default, so any may be left out of the `bind`:
diff --git a/packages/ludic.things/dispatch.ludic b/packages/ludic.things/dispatch.ludic
index 3c5a3f1e..f0a500f3 100644
--- a/packages/ludic.things/dispatch.ludic
+++ b/packages/ludic.things/dispatch.ludic
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ export function thing_prompt(t: Thing) -> string {
 }
 
 # the kind does what using it does; the use is a fact whatever the kind made of it
-export function thing_use(things_st: ThingsState, t: Thing) -> void {
+export function thing_use(things_st: mut ThingsState, t: Thing) -> void {
   if t == null or not thing_kind_ok(t.kind) { return }
   let k = ThingKinds[t.kind]
   th_fact(things_st, THING_USED, t)
diff --git a/packages/ludic.things/facts.ludic b/packages/ludic.things/facts.ludic
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ff3ed08b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/ludic.things/facts.ludic
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+# facts.ludic - what happened to a Thing, pushed on the package's queue for the game to drain
+# a fact's record is one kept for it, not a new one: the halves swap whenever a fact finds the queue
+# empty (everything before it drained or cleared), so a record comes back two drains after it was
+# handed out - a reader placing a Thing while it reads the last drain's list never sees one change
+function th_fact(things_st: mut ThingsState, what: int, t: Thing) -> void {
+  if q_len(things_st.th_facts) == 0 and things_st.th_fact_n > 0 {
+    things_st.th_fact_on_b = not things_st.th_fact_on_b
+    things_st.th_fact_n = 0
+  }
+  var pool = things_st.th_fact_a
+  if things_st.th_fact_on_b { pool = things_st.th_fact_b }
+  if things_st.th_fact_n >= len(pool) { push(pool, new ThingFact) }
+  let f = pool[things_st.th_fact_n]
+  things_st.th_fact_n += 1
+  f.what = what
+  f.uid = t.uid
+  f.kind = t.kind
+  f.id = t.id
+  f.owner = t.owner
+  f.x = t.x
+  f.z = t.z
+  q_push(things_facts(things_st), f)
+}
diff --git a/packages/ludic.things/index.ludic b/packages/ludic.things/index.ludic
index 76661a7e..0c676826 100644
--- a/packages/ludic.things/index.ludic
+++ b/packages/ludic.things/index.ludic
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import "ludic.base"
 import "kinds.ludic"
 import "port.ludic"
 import "store.ludic"
+import "facts.ludic"
 import "verbs.ludic"
 import "moves.ludic"
 import "queries.ludic"
diff --git a/packages/ludic.things/store.ludic b/packages/ludic.things/store.ludic
index 4ec3fe18..fad05825 100644
--- a/packages/ludic.things/store.ludic
+++ b/packages/ludic.things/store.ludic
@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@ export state ThingsState {
   th_hs: words = words(0)           # things_tick's handles, taken before any tick runs
   th_spare: []Thing = new []Thing   # removed records, made again oldest first (spare.ludic)
   th_spare_at: int = 0
+  th_fact_a: []ThingFact = new []ThingFact   # the facts' records, two halves (th_fact)
+  th_fact_b: []ThingFact = new []ThingFact
+  th_fact_n: int = 0
+  th_fact_on_b: bool = false
 }
 
 function th_facts__new() -> Queue<ThingFact> { return queue_new("things.facts") }
@@ -45,17 +49,6 @@ export function things_facts(things_st: ThingsState) -> Queue<ThingFact> {
   return things_st.th_facts
 }
 
-function th_fact(things_st: ThingsState, what: int, t: Thing) -> void {
-  let f = new ThingFact
-  f.what = what
-  f.uid = t.uid
-  f.kind = t.kind
-  f.id = t.id
-  f.owner = t.owner
-  f.x = t.x
-  f.z = t.z
-  q_push(things_facts(things_st), f)
-}
 
 # whether a world has been set out (things_clear) since the program began
 export function things_ready(things_st: ThingsState) -> bool { return things_st.th.tab != null }
diff --git a/packages/ludic.things/tests/things_test.ludic b/packages/ludic.things/tests/things_test.ludic
index 806c1ecd..f2f14fb1 100644
--- a/packages/ludic.things/tests/things_test.ludic
+++ b/packages/ludic.things/tests/things_test.ludic
@@ -246,4 +246,24 @@ program ThingsTest {
     expect_eq(things_spare_count(things_st), 95)
     expect_eq(thing_nearest(things_st, TH_SIGN, 9.0, 9.0).uid, warm.uid)
   }
+  test "a fact's record is kept: a drained list holds still while its reader places a Thing, and comes back two drains on" (things_st: mut ThingsState) {
+    things_reset(things_st)
+    q_clear(things_facts(things_st))
+    let a = thing_put(things_st, TH_SIGN, "sign", 1.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 2.0, 1)
+    thing_put(things_st, TH_SIGN, "sign", 2.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 2.0, 2)
+    let first = q_drain(things_facts(things_st))
+    expect_eq(len(first), 2)
+    let r0: pointer = first[0]
+    thing_put(things_st, TH_BRANCH, "branch", 3.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.5, 0)
+    expect_eq(first[0].uid, a.uid)
+    expect_eq(first[0].what, THING_PLACED)
+    let second = q_drain(things_facts(things_st))
+    expect_eq(len(second), 1)
+    expect_eq(second[0].kind, TH_BRANCH)
+    thing_put(things_st, TH_LURE, "lure", 4.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 2.0, 0)
+    let third = q_drain(things_facts(things_st))
+    let r2: pointer = third[0]
+    expect(r2 == r0)
+    expect_eq(third[0].kind, TH_LURE)
+  }
 }