diff --git a/internal/catalogue/seats.go b/internal/catalogue/seats.go
index 39de060..7f75e04 100644
--- a/internal/catalogue/seats.go
+++ b/internal/catalogue/seats.go
@@ -59,7 +59,16 @@ var defaultSeats = []Seat{
 	{Name: ControllerSeatName, Scope: ScopeMesh, Decision: "novox/hq ADR 0079",
 		Emits:  []string{"applied", "refused", "built-before"},
 		Serves: ControllerVerbs},
-	{Name: "mesh-store", Scope: ScopeMesh, Delivers: "postgres-database", Decision: "novox/hq ADR 0079"},
+	// The store's first verbs (novox/hq ADR 0159): the smallest set that makes the store askable,
+	// served by whichever module holds the seat with tools of these names.
+	{Name: "mesh-store", Scope: ScopeMesh, Delivers: "postgres-database", Decision: "novox/hq ADR 0079",
+		Serves: []Verb{
+			{Name: "databases", Description: "Every database the store holds, with its on-disk size.",
+				Input: schema(map[string]string{}, nil)},
+			{Name: "query", Description: "One read-only statement against one database the store holds.",
+				Input: schema(map[string]string{"database": "the database to query", "sql": "the read-only statement"},
+					[]string{"database", "sql"})},
+		}},
 	// **Delivers the mesh's own bus, not `amqp`.** Those were the same word until
 	// ADR 0127 separated them: `amqp` is a backing service a module may require, and this seat is
 	// the mesh's own transport. ADR 0128 then made that connection something a module requires