diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/internal/assign/asks_test.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/internal/assign/asks_test.go
index d550f1fa..5264609f 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/internal/assign/asks_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/internal/assign/asks_test.go
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ func anAskEndedAtTheChannelIsReadAtBind(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Error("with no ask held the channel is asked")
 	}
 	q, ok := ChannelAsksQuery(held)
-	if since, _ := q["since"].(string); !ok || q["state"] != "ended" || since != asked.Add(-time.Hour-time.Minute).Format(time.RFC3339) {
+	if !ok || q.State != "ended" || q.Bound != ChannelAsksBound || q.Since != asked.Add(-time.Hour-time.Minute).Format(time.RFC3339) {
 		t.Errorf("the query is %v, want the ended asks since %s", q, asked.Add(-time.Hour-time.Minute).Format(time.RFC3339))
 	}
 	at := func(key string, a asks.Ask, state string) string {
diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/internal/assign/ended.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/internal/assign/ended.go
index 8b5e4e7f..a59e1bbf 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/internal/assign/ended.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/internal/assign/ended.go
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ const ChannelAsksBound = 1 << 20
 // every asking of its held asks (key to value, as the asks state holds them) that ended at the channel: the ended asks
 // opened since the earliest of them could have been opened, less a minute (issue 1966 note 155, ADR 0668 §4). ok is false
 // when no held ask reads, and then nothing is asked.
-func ChannelAsksQuery(held map[string][]byte) (query map[string]any, ok bool) {
+func ChannelAsksQuery(held map[string][]byte) (query oc.AsksInput, ok bool) {
 	var since time.Time
 	for key, value := range held {
 		a, ask, err := DecodeAsk(key, value)
@@ -102,19 +102,9 @@ func ChannelAsksQuery(held map[string][]byte) (query map[string]any, ok bool) {
 		}
 	}
 	if !ok {
-		return nil, false
+		return oc.AsksInput{}, false
 	}
-	return map[string]any{"state": "ended", "since": since.Add(-time.Minute).UTC().Format(time.RFC3339), "bound": ChannelAsksBound}, true
-}
-
-// channelAsks is what the assigner reads of the verb asks' answer: each ask's key ("<asker>.<id>", the seat's state asks)
-// and the state it ended with.
-type channelAsks struct {
-	Asks []struct {
-		Key   string `json:"key"`
-		State string `json:"state"`
-	} `json:"asks"`
-	Cut string `json:"cut"`
+	return oc.AsksInput{State: "ended", Since: since.Add(-time.Minute).UTC().Format(time.RFC3339), Bound: ChannelAsksBound}, true
 }
 
 // EndedAtChannel is, of the operator-channel seat's answer of its verb asks, each held ask whose asking ended there
@@ -123,7 +113,7 @@ type channelAsks struct {
 // to it (issue 1966 note 155, ADR 0668 §4). cut is the answer's own cut, said by the caller; an answer that does not read
 // is the error.
 func EndedAtChannel(held map[string][]byte, answer []byte) (ended []tellerevents.Ended, cut string, err error) {
-	var got channelAsks
+	var got oc.AsksAnswer // the seat's declared answer: each ask's key and its state, and the cut
 	if err := json.Unmarshal(answer, &got); err != nil {
 		return nil, "", fmt.Errorf("assign: the operator channel's asks do not read: %w", err)
 	}