diff --git a/booth/app.py b/booth/app.py
index 098a1f5..b48db1f 100644
--- a/booth/app.py
+++ b/booth/app.py
@@ -41,11 +41,13 @@ import os
 import re
 import secrets
 import shutil
+import stat
 import tempfile
 import time
 import zipfile
 from contextlib import asynccontextmanager
 from dataclasses import replace
+from datetime import datetime, timezone
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Sequence
 from urllib.parse import quote, unquote
@@ -254,6 +256,56 @@ def _newest_mtime(path: Path) -> float:
     return newest
 
 
+def _content_mtime(path: Path) -> float:
+    """`landed_at` (R2 C4): the newest mtime among the booth's CONTENT — regular
+    files with no dot-component in their path. Deliberately NOT `_newest_mtime`
+    (INV-5 of r2): a mark, a view, a blur or a keep is activity, never new
+    content, so none of them may make a booth read as newly landed.
+
+    Files only, never directories: creating `.viewed` bumps the booth
+    directory's own mtime, and counting that would make the first look at a
+    booth look like a delivery. An empty booth landed at 0.0. Unknowable reads
+    as NOW, the posture `_newest_mtime` takes and for a milder reason here: a
+    booth we cannot read is shown as new rather than hidden as old.
+    """
+    newest = 0.0
+    try:
+        for p in path.rglob("*"):
+            rel = p.relative_to(path)
+            if any(part.startswith(".") for part in rel.parts):
+                continue
+            try:
+                st = p.stat()
+            except FileNotFoundError:
+                continue
+            if stat.S_ISREG(st.st_mode) and st.st_mtime > newest:
+                newest = st.st_mtime
+    except OSError:
+        return time.time()
+    return newest
+
+
+def _viewed_at(path: Path) -> float | None:
+    """The mtime of the booth's `.viewed` marker (U4), or None if it has never
+    been looked at. `lstat`, like `is_kept`: a planted symlink is read as the
+    marker it claims to be, never followed."""
+    try:
+        return os.lstat(path / VIEW_MARKER).st_mtime
+    except OSError:
+        return None
+
+
+def _stamp(created: str) -> datetime | None:
+    """A mark's `created` as an aware datetime, or None when it will not parse.
+    Strings are never compared: two ISO stamps with different offsets sort
+    wrong as text. A naive stamp is read as UTC."""
+    try:
+        dt = datetime.fromisoformat(created)
+    except (TypeError, ValueError):
+        return None
+    return dt if dt.tzinfo else dt.replace(tzinfo=timezone.utc)
+
+
 def booth_age_seconds(path: Path, now: float | None = None) -> float:
     now = time.time() if now is None else now
     return now - _newest_mtime(path)
@@ -384,6 +436,9 @@ def wants_json(accept: str | None) -> bool:
     return False
 
 
+# The Desk shows this many bookmarks and links to the board for the rest.
+BOOKMARKS_SHOWN = 8
+
 HOLD_UNREADABLE = "unreadable"
 HOLD_OPEN = "open"
 
@@ -529,6 +584,10 @@ def list_booths(data_dir: Path, ttl_seconds: float, now: float | None = None) ->
                 # rather than re-opening .blurred here.
                 thumb_blurred = it.blurred
         mtime = _newest_mtime(child)
+        # R2 C4: the oldest question still owed an answer, PARSED. Unparseable
+        # stamps are left out, so a booth whose every open pick is unparseable
+        # has no `open_since` and sorts after every booth that has one.
+        stamps = [st for st in (_stamp(m.created) for m in open_marks(marks)) if st]
         booths.append(
             {
                 "name": child.name,
@@ -555,6 +614,17 @@ def list_booths(data_dir: Path, ttl_seconds: float, now: float | None = None) ->
                 "hold": hold,
                 "expires_in": max(0.0, ttl_seconds - (now - mtime)),
                 "mtime": mtime,
+                # ---- R2 C4, the Desk. All from the pass above; no second read.
+                "open_since": min(stamps) if stamps else None,
+                "flags": sum(1 for m in marks if m.shape == "flag"),
+                # Two clocks, named apart (INV-5): `mtime` is activity,
+                # `landed_at` is content. "New since you looked" reads only the
+                # second, so a flag or a view never makes a booth look new.
+                "landed_at": _content_mtime(child),
+                "viewed_at": _viewed_at(child),
+                # The first four images in item order, as the originals shown
+                # small. Blurred ones stay blurred, the cover's rule.
+                "preview": [(it.url, it.blurred) for it in items if it.kind == "image"][:4],
             }
         )
     # Newest first, NAME as the tie-break. Sorting on mtime alone left equal-mtime
@@ -779,6 +849,7 @@ def create_app(
     sweep_interval_s: int = 900,
     max_upload_mb: float = 1024.0,
     max_files: int = 50,
+    links_board: str = "links",
 ) -> FastAPI:
     data_dir = Path(data_dir).expanduser().resolve()
     data_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
@@ -889,19 +960,49 @@ def create_app(
 
     @app.get("/", response_class=HTMLResponse)
     def index(request: Request):
-        # Two lanes, split here rather than in the template: kept boards are a
-        # different KIND of thing from the ephemeral churn — durable, deliberate,
-        # operator-facing — and burying them in a feed that turns over daily is
-        # exactly how they would get lost, which is the problem they exist to
-        # solve. Kept renders first.
+        """THE DESK (R2 C4) — the index triaged by what needs the operator.
+
+        Three sections, ALWAYS in this order, each booth in exactly one:
+          needs  — an open pick, or marks that cannot be read (somebody has to
+                   fix those, so they must not hide further down). Oldest open
+                   question first; a booth with no parseable stamp after every
+                   booth that has one; name breaks ties.
+          new    — content landed since the booth was last looked at, or never
+                   looked at. Newest content first; name breaks ties.
+          rest   — everything else, in `list_booths`' own order (last activity
+                   first, name as the tie-break). No second rule is stated.
+        The kept/ephemeral lanes are gone: 23 of 24 live booths were kept, so
+        the lanes sorted nothing. Kept status still shows on every row.
+        """
         everything = list_booths(data_dir, ttl_seconds)
+        needs = [b for b in everything
+                 if b["marks_open"] > 0 or b["hold"] == HOLD_UNREADABLE]
+        needs.sort(key=lambda b: ((0, b["open_since"].timestamp())
+                                  if b["open_since"] else (1, 0.0), b["name"]))
+        in_needs = {b["name"] for b in needs}
+        new = [b for b in everything if b["name"] not in in_needs
+               and (b["viewed_at"] is None or b["landed_at"] > b["viewed_at"])]
+        new.sort(key=lambda b: (-b["landed_at"], b["name"]))
+        in_new = {b["name"] for b in new}
+        rest = [b for b in everything
+                if b["name"] not in in_needs and b["name"] not in in_new]
+        benches, benches_error = read_benches(data_dir)
+        board = data_dir / links_board
+        bookmarks = [row for row in _board_rows(board)
+                     if booth_target(row["url"]) is None] if board.is_dir() else []
         return templates.TemplateResponse(
             request,
             "index.html",
             {
                 **base_ctx,
-                "kept": [b for b in everything if b["kept"]],
-                "booths": [b for b in everything if not b["kept"]],
+                "needs": needs,
+                "new": new,
+                "rest": rest,
+                "benches": [b for b in benches if b.state != "retired"],
+                "benches_error": benches_error,
+                "bookmarks": bookmarks[:BOOKMARKS_SHOWN],
+                "bookmarks_total": len(bookmarks),
+                "board_url": f"/b/{quote(links_board, safe='')}/",
             },
         )
 
@@ -1875,6 +1976,9 @@ def _from_env() -> FastAPI:
         sweep_interval_s=interval,
         max_upload_mb=max_mb,
         max_files=max_n,
+        # The board the CLI's `booth link` writes (scripts/booth reads the same
+        # variable), so the Desk's bookmarks come from where they are written.
+        links_board=os.environ.get("BOOTH_LINKS_BOARD", "links"),
     )
 
 
diff --git a/booth/templates/base.html b/booth/templates/base.html
index d334641..da1b13d 100644
--- a/booth/templates/base.html
+++ b/booth/templates/base.html
@@ -157,6 +157,87 @@
     box-shadow:var(--shadow-sm)}
   .thumb .badge+.badge-mark{top:36px}
 
+  /* ---- THE DESK (R2 C4) -------------------------------------------------
+     The index as triage. Sections stack in a fixed order; a row is a booth.
+     "Needs you" rows carry an amber inner edge — the one thing on the page
+     that asks to be looked at. */
+  .desk{display:grid;grid-template-columns:minmax(0,1fr) 300px;gap:var(--space-6);align-items:start}
+  @media (max-width:1000px){.desk{grid-template-columns:1fr}}
+  .desk-sec{margin:0 0 var(--space-6)}
+  .desk-head{display:flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;margin:0 0 10px;font-family:var(--font-mono);
+    font-size:var(--size-micro);font-weight:500;letter-spacing:var(--tracking-caps);text-transform:uppercase;
+    color:var(--text-muted)}
+  .desk-head::after{content:"";flex:1;height:1px;background:var(--border-subtle)}
+  .desk-head-needs{color:var(--warning-text)}
+  .desk-head-new{color:var(--intel-text)}
+  .desk-rule{font-weight:400;letter-spacing:0;text-transform:none;color:var(--text-muted)}
+  .desk-row{display:grid;grid-template-columns:210px minmax(0,1fr) auto;gap:var(--space-4);align-items:center;
+    padding:12px;margin-bottom:8px;border:1px solid var(--border-default);border-radius:var(--radius-xl);
+    background:var(--surface-card);box-shadow:var(--shadow-sm);
+    transition:border-color var(--dur-2) var(--ease-out)}
+  .desk-row:hover,.desk-row:focus-within{border-color:var(--border-strong)}
+  .desk-row.is-needs{box-shadow:inset 3px 0 0 var(--warning),var(--shadow-sm)}
+  .desk-strip{display:grid;grid-template-columns:repeat(4,1fr);gap:3px;height:58px;border-radius:var(--radius-md);
+    overflow:hidden;background:var(--surface-sunken)}
+  .desk-strip img{width:100%;height:100%;object-fit:cover;display:block}
+  .desk-strip .ph{grid-column:1/-1;display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;font-family:var(--font-mono);
+    font-size:var(--size-caption);letter-spacing:var(--tracking-caps);text-transform:uppercase;color:var(--text-muted)}
+  .desk-strip:hover{text-decoration:none}
+  .desk-main{min-width:0}
+  .desk-title{display:block;font-weight:600;font-size:var(--size-h3);line-height:1.3;color:var(--text-heading);
+    overflow-wrap:anywhere}
+  .desk-title:hover{color:var(--text-link);text-decoration:none}
+  .desk-slug{font-family:var(--font-mono);font-size:var(--size-caption);font-weight:400;color:var(--text-muted);margin-left:6px}
+  .desk-main .prov{margin-top:3px;white-space:nowrap;overflow:hidden;text-overflow:ellipsis}
+  .desk-facts{margin-top:5px;font-family:var(--font-mono);font-size:var(--size-caption);color:var(--text-muted)}
+  .desk-flags{color:var(--success-text)}
+  .desk-side{display:flex;flex-direction:column;align-items:flex-end;gap:8px}
+  .badge-new{color:var(--intel-text);background:var(--intel-soft)}
+  .badge-broken{color:var(--danger-text);background:var(--danger-soft);border-color:color-mix(in oklab,var(--danger) 40%,transparent)}
+  /* The row's keep / release / × — quiet until the row is hovered or focused,
+     because a destructive control must not compete with the thing you came to
+     read. Static here: on the old cards they floated over a thumbnail. */
+  .desk-acts{display:flex;gap:6px;opacity:0;transition:opacity var(--dur-1)}
+  .desk-row:hover .desk-acts,.desk-acts:focus-within{opacity:1}
+  .desk-acts form{position:static;opacity:1;margin:0}
+  .desk-acts button{height:28px;min-width:28px;padding:0 8px;font-size:var(--size-sm);border-radius:var(--radius-md);
+    border:1px solid var(--border-strong);background:var(--surface-raised);color:var(--text-body);
+    -webkit-backdrop-filter:none;backdrop-filter:none;cursor:pointer}
+  .desk-acts .release button{font-family:var(--font-mono);font-size:var(--size-caption)}
+  .desk-acts .wipe button:hover{background:var(--danger);border-color:var(--danger);color:var(--danger-contrast)}
+  .desk-acts .keepit button:hover,.desk-acts .release button:hover{background:var(--surface-overlay)}
+  @media (max-width:700px){
+    .desk-row{grid-template-columns:1fr}
+    .desk-side{flex-direction:row;align-items:center;justify-content:space-between}
+    .desk-acts{opacity:1}
+  }
+  /* the side column */
+  .desk-panel{border:1px solid var(--border-default);border-radius:var(--radius-xl);background:var(--surface-card);
+    overflow:hidden;margin-bottom:var(--space-4);box-shadow:var(--shadow-sm)}
+  .desk-panel-head{display:flex;align-items:baseline;gap:8px;margin:0;padding:10px 14px;background:var(--surface-raised);
+    border-bottom:1px solid var(--border-subtle);font-family:var(--font-mono);font-size:var(--size-micro);font-weight:500;
+    letter-spacing:var(--tracking-caps);text-transform:uppercase;color:var(--text-heading)}
+  .desk-panel-head .desk-rule{margin-left:auto}
+  .desk-bench,.desk-mark{display:flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;padding:9px 14px;border-bottom:1px solid var(--border-subtle);
+    font-size:var(--size-sm);color:var(--text-heading)}
+  .desk-bench:last-child,.desk-mark:last-of-type{border-bottom:0}
+  .desk-bench:hover,.desk-mark:hover{background:var(--surface-sunken);text-decoration:none}
+  .desk-mark{display:block;color:var(--text-link)}
+  .desk-mark.is-pinned{background:var(--surface-overlay)}
+  .desk-bench-dot{flex:0 0 auto;width:6px;height:6px;border-radius:var(--radius-pill);background:var(--text-muted)}
+  /* Device 3: a live bench is a running thing — the one row that glows. */
+  .desk-bench.is-live .desk-bench-dot{background:var(--accent);box-shadow:var(--glow-armed)}
+  .desk-bench.is-promoted .desk-bench-dot{background:var(--intel)}
+  .desk-bench-main{display:flex;flex-direction:column;min-width:0}
+  .desk-bench-name{overflow:hidden;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap}
+  .desk-bench-sub{display:block;font-family:var(--font-mono);font-size:var(--size-micro);color:var(--text-muted)}
+  .desk-more{display:block;padding:9px 14px;border-top:1px solid var(--border-subtle);font-family:var(--font-mono);
+    font-size:var(--size-caption)}
+  .desk-panel .uploader{flex-direction:column;margin:0;padding:12px}
+  .desk-panel .drop{flex:1 1 auto;padding:14px 12px}
+  .desk-panel .up-go{padding:10px 14px;border-radius:var(--radius-lg)}
+  .desk-panel .drop.has+.up-go{padding:10px 14px;border-radius:var(--radius-lg)}
+
   /* ---- index: lanes and cards ------------------------------------------ */
   .lane-head{margin:28px 0 12px;font-family:var(--font-mono);font-size:var(--size-micro);font-weight:500;
     letter-spacing:var(--tracking-caps);text-transform:uppercase;color:var(--text-muted);
diff --git a/booth/templates/index.html b/booth/templates/index.html
index b56647c..424f040 100644
--- a/booth/templates/index.html
+++ b/booth/templates/index.html
@@ -1,136 +1,155 @@
 {% extends "base.html" %}
 {% from "_provenance.html" import provenance %}
 {% from "_lifetime.html" import lifetime %}
-{% block content %}
-<form class="uploader" method="post" action="/upload" enctype="multipart/form-data">
-  <label class="drop" for="booth-files">
-    <span class="drop-icon">⬆</span>
-    <span class="drop-main">Upload files for pickup</span>
-    <span class="drop-sub" id="drop-sub">drop here, or click to choose · one pickup id, wiped in {{ ttl_hours }}h</span>
-    <input id="booth-files" name="files" type="file" multiple>
-  </label>
-  <button class="up-go" type="submit">Get pickup id →</button>
-</form>
+{# THE DESK (R2 C4). The index triaged by what needs the operator: needs you,
+   then new since you looked, then everything else — always in that order, and
+   the ORDER WITHIN each is decided in app.index, never here. A section with no
+   booths renders nothing at all: no heading, no empty box (the negative half
+   of the kept-lane pair this replaces). #}
 
-{% if kept %}
-  {# Kept boards render FIRST and look different on purpose: they are durable
-     operator-facing things (the agent link board, standing reports) and the
-     point of the lane is that they cannot be lost in a feed that turns over
-     every day. No countdown — they have no expiry to advertise. #}
-  <h2 class="lane-head">Kept <span class="lane-note">· no expiry · <code>{{ keep_marker }}</code></span></h2>
-  <div class="grid kept-grid">
-    {% for b in kept %}
-    <article class="card card-kept">
-      <a class="thumb" href="/b/{{ b.name_url }}/">
-        {% if b.thumb_url %}
-          {# A cover blurred inside the booth must be blurred here too, or the
-             front page undoes the censoring the booth page applied. #}
-          <img class="{{ 'blurred-thumb' if b.thumb_blurred }}" loading="lazy"
-               src="/b/{{ b.name_url }}/{{ b.thumb_url }}" alt="">
-        {% elif b.has_index %}
-          <div class="ph">▦ page</div>
-        {% elif b.kinds.video %}
-          <div class="ph">▶ video</div>
-        {% elif b.kinds.audio %}
-          <div class="ph">♪ audio</div>
-        {% else %}
-          <div class="ph">◆ files</div>
-        {% endif %}
-        <span class="badge badge-kept">★ kept</span>
-      </a>
-      <div class="meta">
-        <a class="name" href="/b/{{ b.name_url }}/">{{ b.name }}</a>
-        <div class="sub">{{ b.count }} item{{ '' if b.count == 1 else 's' }} · {{ lifetime(true, b.hold, b.expires_in) }} · <a class="dl-link" href="/b/{{ b.name_url }}/?download=1" title="download this booth as a zip">⬇ zip</a></div>
-        {{ provenance(b.manifest) }}
-      </div>
-      {# There IS a × here now (operator, 2026-09-21). The old rule was
-         release-then-find-it-in-the-other-lane, on the theory that two
-         deliberate acts protect durable boards. In practice it protects
-         nothing and costs a hunt: the board you just released is loose in a
-         feed that turns over, and you have to go find it to finish the job
-         you had already decided on.
-
-         The protection now lives in the CONFIRMATION, not in the number of
-         lanes you must traverse — this one names the booth and says the word
-         KEPT, where the ephemeral × just asks. A deliberate act, one click,
-         reachable.
-
-         Release still exists and is still the reversible option. Note it
-         BUMPS the directory mtime, so the board's age resets and it survives
-         another full TTL — unkeep-and-wait is a 24h delay, not a delete,
-         which is exactly why a direct × was worth adding. #}
-      {# ⚠ BOTH OF THESE WERE position:absolute ON THE SAME CORNER, and `release`
-         is the later sibling, so it painted over the × completely: measured
-         30x22 px of overlap on a 30px button, and elementFromPoint at the ×'s
-         centre returned the release form. The × was unclickable from the day
-         it shipped.
-
-         One flex row, positioned once, instead of two independently guessed
-         offsets — so neither control can drift back on top of the other when
-         a label changes width. #}
-      <div class="kept-actions">
-      <form class="release" method="post" action="/b/{{ b.name_url }}/unkeep"
-            data-booth="{{ b.name }}" data-confirm="release">
-        <button title="release this board so it can be wiped">release</button>
-      </form>
-      <form class="wipe wipe-kept" method="post" action="/b/{{ b.name_url }}/delete"
-            data-booth="{{ b.name }}" data-confirm="wipe-kept">
-        <button title="wipe this KEPT booth now" aria-label="wipe kept booth">×</button>
-      </form>
-      </div>
-    </article>
+{# The first four images, the originals shown small. A blurred one stays
+   blurred (`blurred-thumb`, the cover's rule). A booth with no images shows the
+   kind placeholder the cards used to. #}
+{% macro preview(b) -%}
+  <a class="desk-strip" href="/b/{{ b.name_url }}/" tabindex="-1" aria-hidden="true">
+  {% if b.preview %}
+    {% for url, blurred in b.preview %}
+      <img class="{{ 'blurred-thumb' if blurred }}" loading="lazy" src="/b/{{ b.name_url }}/{{ url }}" alt="">
     {% endfor %}
-  </div>
-  {% if booths %}<h2 class="lane-head">Ephemeral <span class="lane-note">· wiped {{ ttl_hours }}h after last activity</span></h2>{% endif %}
-{% endif %}
-
-{% if not booths %}
-  {% if not kept %}
-  <div class="empty">
-    No booths yet. Upload files above, or drop a folder into <code>{{ data_dir }}</code>.
-  </div>
+  {% elif b.has_index %}<span class="ph">▦ page</span>
+  {% elif b.kinds.video %}<span class="ph">▶ video</span>
+  {% elif b.kinds.audio %}<span class="ph">♪ audio</span>
+  {% else %}<span class="ph">◆ files</span>
   {% endif %}
-{% else %}
-  <div class="grid">
-    {% for b in booths %}
-    <article class="card">
-      <a class="thumb" href="/b/{{ b.name_url }}/">
-        {% if b.thumb_url %}
-          <img class="{{ 'blurred-thumb' if b.thumb_blurred }}" loading="lazy"
-               src="/b/{{ b.name_url }}/{{ b.thumb_url }}" alt="">
-        {% elif b.has_index %}
-          <div class="ph">▦ page</div>
-        {% elif b.kinds.video %}
-          <div class="ph">▶ video</div>
-        {% elif b.kinds.audio %}
-          <div class="ph">♪ audio</div>
-        {% else %}
-          <div class="ph">◆ files</div>
-        {% endif %}
-        {% if b.uploaded %}<span class="badge">⬆ pickup</span>{% endif %}
-        {% if b.marks_open %}<span class="badge badge-mark">? {{ b.marks_open }} open</span>{% endif %}
+  </a>
+{%- endmacro %}
+
+{% macro row(b, section) -%}
+  <article class="desk-row{% if section == 'needs' %} is-needs{% endif %}" data-booth="{{ b.name }}" data-kept="{{ '1' if b.kept else '0' }}">
+    {{ preview(b) }}
+    <div class="desk-main">
+      {# The manifest title leads when there is one; the directory name stays
+         beside it because it is what the URL says. #}
+      <a class="desk-title" href="/b/{{ b.name_url }}/">
+        {%- if b.manifest and not b.manifest.error and b.manifest.title and b.manifest.title != b.name -%}
+          {{ b.manifest.title }} <span class="desk-slug">{{ b.name }}</span>
+        {%- else -%}{{ b.name }}{%- endif -%}
       </a>
-      <div class="meta">
-        <a class="name" href="/b/{{ b.name_url }}/">{{ b.name }}</a>
-        <div class="sub">{{ b.count }} item{{ '' if b.count == 1 else 's' }} · {{ lifetime(false, b.hold, b.expires_in) }} · <a class="dl-link" href="/b/{{ b.name_url }}/?download=1" title="download this booth as a zip">⬇ zip</a></div>
-        {{ provenance(b.manifest) }}
+      {{ provenance(b.manifest) }}
+      <div class="desk-facts">
+        {{ b.count }} item{{ '' if b.count == 1 else 's' }}
+        {% if b.flags %} · <span class="desk-flags">{{ b.flags }} flagged</span>{% endif %}
+        · {{ lifetime(b.kept, b.hold, b.expires_in) }}
+        · <a class="dl-link" href="/b/{{ b.name_url }}/?download=1" title="download this booth as a zip">⬇ zip</a>
       </div>
-      {# Promote to the kept lane. The /keep route and the `booth keep` CLI verb
-         both predate this button; until 2026-09-19 the UI could only RELEASE a
-         kept booth, never keep an ephemeral one, so the round trip was only
-         closed if you had a shell. Reversible, so no confirmation — the × next
-         to it is the destructive one and keeps its prompt. #}
-      <form class="keepit" method="post" action="/b/{{ b.name_url }}/keep">
-        <button title="keep — exempt from the {{ ttl_hours }}h sweep" aria-label="keep booth">★</button>
-      </form>
-      <form class="wipe" method="post" action="/b/{{ b.name_url }}/delete"
-            data-booth="{{ b.name }}" data-confirm="wipe">
-        <button title="wipe now" aria-label="wipe booth">×</button>
-      </form>
-    </article>
-    {% endfor %}
+    </div>
+    <div class="desk-side">
+      {% if b.marks_open %}<span class="badge badge-mark">? {{ b.marks_open }} open</span>
+      {% elif b.hold == "unreadable" %}<span class="badge badge-broken">marks unreadable</span>
+      {% elif section == 'new' %}<span class="badge badge-new">new</span>{% endif %}
+      {% if b.uploaded %}<span class="badge">⬆ pickup</span>{% endif %}
+      <div class="desk-acts">
+      {# Keep / release and the ×. The confirmation text is DATA-DRIVEN: the
+         booth name travels as a data attribute and never reaches a JS string
+         (see the script below). Release is reversible, so it has no prompt of
+         its own beyond the wording. #}
+      {% if b.kept %}
+        <form class="release" method="post" action="/b/{{ b.name_url }}/unkeep"
+              data-booth="{{ b.name }}" data-confirm="release">
+          <button title="release this booth so it can be wiped">release</button>
+        </form>
+        <form class="wipe wipe-kept" method="post" action="/b/{{ b.name_url }}/delete"
+              data-booth="{{ b.name }}" data-confirm="wipe-kept">
+          <button title="wipe this KEPT booth now" aria-label="wipe kept booth">×</button>
+        </form>
+      {% else %}
+        <form class="keepit" method="post" action="/b/{{ b.name_url }}/keep">
+          <button title="keep — exempt from the {{ ttl_hours }}h sweep" aria-label="keep booth">★</button>
+        </form>
+        <form class="wipe" method="post" action="/b/{{ b.name_url }}/delete"
+              data-booth="{{ b.name }}" data-confirm="wipe">
+          <button title="wipe now" aria-label="wipe booth">×</button>
+        </form>
+      {% endif %}
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  </article>
+{%- endmacro %}
+
+{% block content %}
+<div class="desk">
+  <div class="desk-list">
+    {% if needs %}
+    <section class="desk-sec" data-section="needs">
+      <h2 class="desk-head desk-head-needs">Needs you <span class="desk-rule">oldest question first</span></h2>
+      {% for b in needs %}{{ row(b, 'needs') }}{% endfor %}
+    </section>
+    {% endif %}
+    {% if new %}
+    <section class="desk-sec" data-section="new">
+      <h2 class="desk-head desk-head-new">New since you looked <span class="desk-rule">newest first</span></h2>
+      {% for b in new %}{{ row(b, 'new') }}{% endfor %}
+    </section>
+    {% endif %}
+    {% if rest %}
+    <section class="desk-sec" data-section="rest">
+      <h2 class="desk-head">Everything else <span class="desk-rule">last activity first</span></h2>
+      {% for b in rest %}{{ row(b, 'rest') }}{% endfor %}
+    </section>
+    {% endif %}
+    {% if not needs and not new and not rest %}
+    <div class="empty">
+      No booths yet. Drop a folder into <code>{{ data_dir }}</code>, or upload files for pickup.
+    </div>
+    {% endif %}
   </div>
-{% endif %}
+
+  <aside class="desk-aside">
+    {# Benches: running things. DAMAGED AND ABSENT MUST NOT RENDER THE SAME —
+       an unreadable registry says so; an empty one renders no panel. #}
+    {% if benches_error %}
+    <section class="desk-panel" data-panel="benches">
+      <h2 class="desk-panel-head">Benches</h2>
+      <div class="bench-err">the bench registry could not be read: {{ benches_error }}</div>
+    </section>
+    {% elif benches %}
+    <section class="desk-panel" data-panel="benches">
+      <h2 class="desk-panel-head">Benches <span class="desk-rule">running things</span></h2>
+      {% for b in benches %}
+      <a class="desk-bench is-{{ b.state }}" href="{{ b.url }}" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
+        <span class="desk-bench-dot" aria-hidden="true"></span>
+        <span class="desk-bench-main"><span class="desk-bench-name">{{ b.name or b.url }}</span>
+          <span class="desk-bench-sub">{% if b.owner %}{{ b.owner }} · {% endif %}{{ b.state }}</span></span>
+      </a>
+      {% endfor %}
+    </section>
+    {% endif %}
+
+    {% if bookmarks %}
+    <section class="desk-panel" data-panel="bookmarks">
+      <h2 class="desk-panel-head">Bookmarks <span class="desk-rule">pinned first</span></h2>
+      {% for e in bookmarks %}
+      <a class="desk-mark{% if e.pinned %} is-pinned{% endif %}" href="{{ e.url }}" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
+        {{ e.desc }}{% if e.who %}<span class="desk-bench-sub">{{ e.who }}</span>{% endif %}</a>
+      {% endfor %}
+      <a class="desk-more" href="{{ board_url }}">all {{ bookmarks_total }} on the board →</a>
+    </section>
+    {% endif %}
+
+    <section class="desk-panel" data-panel="pickup">
+      <h2 class="desk-panel-head">Pickup</h2>
+      <form class="uploader" method="post" action="/upload" enctype="multipart/form-data">
+        <label class="drop" for="booth-files">
+          <span class="drop-icon">⬆</span>
+          <span class="drop-main">Upload files for pickup</span>
+          <span class="drop-sub" id="drop-sub">drop here, or click · wiped in {{ ttl_hours }}h</span>
+          <input id="booth-files" name="files" type="file" multiple>
+        </label>
+        <button class="up-go" type="submit">Get pickup id →</button>
+      </form>
+    </section>
+  </aside>
+</div>
 
 <script>
   /* progressive enhancement: reflect chosen files + drag-drop onto the panel.
@@ -162,31 +181,23 @@
     });
   })();
 
-  /* Destructive-action confirmation, delegated and DATA-DRIVEN.
-     These were an inline onsubmit calling confirm() with the booth NAME
-     interpolated straight into the JS string literal. Jinja's autoescape is
-     HTML-attribute escaping, not JS-string escaping: the browser decodes the
-     entity back to a quote before the JS parser ever sees it, so a booth name
-     crafted to close that string executed on submit. Booth names are
-     agent-authored — making a folder under the data dir is the whole API — so
-     that is a live path, not a theoretical one.
-
-     The name now travels as a DATA ATTRIBUTE, where escaping is escaping, and
-     never reaches a JS string literal. Same pattern the board controls already
-     use. With JS off the form submits without a prompt, which is what every
-     no-JS browser here already did. */
+  /* Destructive-action confirmation, delegated and DATA-DRIVEN. The booth name
+     travels as a data attribute, where escaping is escaping, and never reaches
+     a JS string literal: a booth name is agent-authored, and an inline handler
+     carrying one was a live injection path. With JS off the form submits
+     without a prompt. */
   (function () {
     var WORDS = {
       release: function (n) {
-        return 'Release \u201c' + n + '\u201d?\n\nIt moves to the ephemeral lane so you '
-             + 'can wipe it from there. Nothing is deleted by this step.';
+        return 'Release “' + n + '”?\n\nIt rejoins the sweep: it will be wiped '
+             + '{{ ttl_hours|int }}h after its last activity. Nothing is deleted by this step.';
       },
       'wipe-kept': function (n) {
-        return 'WIPE the KEPT booth \u201c' + n + '\u201d?\n\nThis deletes it and its files '
+        return 'WIPE the KEPT booth “' + n + '”?\n\nThis deletes it and its files '
              + 'immediately. Kept booths are the ones nothing else will clean up, so nobody '
-             + 'else is going to do this for you \u2014 and nothing brings it back.';
+             + 'else is going to do this for you — and nothing brings it back.';
       },
-      wipe: function (n) { return 'Wipe booth \u201c' + n + '\u201d?'; }
+      wipe: function (n) { return 'Wipe booth “' + n + '”?'; }
     };
     document.addEventListener('submit', function (ev) {
       var form = ev.target.closest ? ev.target.closest('form[data-confirm]') : null;
diff --git a/docs/contracts/r2_flow.contract.md b/docs/contracts/r2_flow.contract.md
index 0aef900..7817463 100644
--- a/docs/contracts/r2_flow.contract.md
+++ b/docs/contracts/r2_flow.contract.md
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ touches:
   - "booth/templates/base.html (layout CSS; the in-place script)"
   - "booth/templates/doc.html (NOT restructured — a doc keeps its reading page; named because it was checked)"
   - "booth/static/embed.js (NOT TOUCHED — the verbatim path keeps its author's layout; requirement 6)"
-  - "tests/test_booth.py (TWO assertions change: L785-786, the kept-lane presence pair. L810-811, the absence pair, survive unchanged. See 'Assertions that change')"
+  - "tests/test_booth.py (THREE assertions change, all in test_index_separates_kept_from_ephemeral: L785-786, the kept-lane presence pair, and L789, kept-before-ephemeral. L810-811, the absence pair, survive unchanged. See 'Assertions that change')"
   - "tests/test_flow.py (NEW)"
 assumptions:
   - "ONE VIEWER. `.seen` records what has been seen at full size, not WHO saw it. ROADMAP parks 'per-viewer state (who has seen what)' on the one-viewer premise; this contract keeps that premise and does not reopen the parked item."
@@ -220,8 +220,10 @@ rule — a second renderer in JavaScript would be the same bug in a new language
      have no `open_since` and sort after every booth that has one.
 2. **New since you looked** — `not in_needs_you and (viewed_at is None or
    landed_at > viewed_at)`. Ordered by `(-landed_at, name)`, newest first.
-3. **Everything else** — ordered by `(-mtime, name)`, where `mtime` is today's
-   `_newest_mtime`: last activity first.
+3. **Everything else** — in `list_booths`' own existing order: `(mtime, name)`
+   descending, where `mtime` is today's `_newest_mtime`. That is last activity
+   first, with name as the tie-break (`test_the_index_order_has_a_tie_breaker`
+   pins it). The Desk reuses that rule rather than stating a second one.
    - Flagging or viewing a booth moves it up this section. That is intended:
      it is activity. It never moves the booth into (2), because (2) reads
      `landed_at` (INV-5).
@@ -346,7 +348,7 @@ This applies to image, video and audio items. Docs keep `doc.html`.
   | Desk sections | fixed: needs → new → everything |
   | needs you | `(open_since, name)` |
   | new since you looked | `(-landed_at, name)` |
-  | everything else | `(-mtime, name)` |
+  | everything else | `list_booths` order: `(mtime, name)` descending |
   | bookmarks | `order_for_display` |
 
   The notes list keeps `(created, id)`.
@@ -387,6 +389,7 @@ This applies to image, video and audio items. Docs keep `doc.html`.
 |---|---|---|---|
 | test_booth.py L785 | `class="grid kept-grid"` present when a booth is kept | absent; the kept booth appears in its Desk section with the `kept` lifetime line | requirement 8: the lanes sort nothing |
 | test_booth.py L786 | `class="card card-kept"` present | replaced by the row carrying `data-kept="1"` | same |
+| test_booth.py L789 | the kept booth renders BEFORE the ephemeral one (`html.index("links") < html.index("scratch")`) | replaced by the Desk's stated order (needs → new → everything, each with its own key) | the kept-first order was the lane's; with no lane there is no kept-first rule, and a second hidden ordering would break INV-2 |
 | test_booth.py L810-811 | lane absent when nothing is kept | these two SURVIVE unchanged (they assert absence and stay true) | — |
 
 Every other existing assertion is expected to survive, and one of the TDD
diff --git a/tests/test_booth.py b/tests/test_booth.py
index 232b12a..f4afa1b 100644
--- a/tests/test_booth.py
+++ b/tests/test_booth.py
@@ -771,7 +771,13 @@ def test_sentinel_is_not_counted_as_an_item(tmp_path):
     assert booth["count"] == 1
 
 
-def test_index_separates_kept_from_ephemeral(client):
+def test_index_marks_kept_on_the_row_instead_of_a_lane(client):
+    """R2 C4 (docs/contracts/r2_flow.contract.md, "Assertions that change").
+    This test used to require a kept LANE rendered before the ephemeral grid.
+    The Desk removed the lanes — 23 of 24 live booths were kept, so they sorted
+    nothing — and orders by what needs the operator instead (tested in
+    tests/test_flow.py). What survives is the fact: a kept booth still says it
+    is kept, on its own row."""
     c, data = client
     _touch(data / "scratch" / "a.png")
     _touch(data / "links" / "a.png")
@@ -779,14 +785,9 @@ def test_index_separates_kept_from_ephemeral(client):
 
     html = c.get("/").text
 
-    # Assert on the lane's markup, not on the word "Kept" — that string also
-    # appears in the stylesheet comment that is served on every page, so a bare
-    # substring check passes for the wrong reason.
-    assert 'class="grid kept-grid"' in html, "kept booths need their own lane"
-    assert 'class="card card-kept"' in html
-    # The kept lane is rendered before the ephemeral grid, so the operator sees
-    # durable boards first rather than hunting for them among the churn.
-    assert html.index("links") < html.index("scratch")
+    assert 'data-booth="links" data-kept="1"' in html
+    assert 'data-booth="scratch" data-kept="0"' in html
+    assert 'class="grid kept-grid"' not in html, "no lane: kept is a fact, not a grouping"
 
 
 def test_kept_booth_shows_kept_instead_of_a_countdown(client):
diff --git a/tests/test_flow.py b/tests/test_flow.py
index a872fdf..fe66fb5 100644
--- a/tests/test_flow.py
+++ b/tests/test_flow.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 
 import pathlib
 import re
+import time
 import sys
 
 import pytest
@@ -224,3 +225,185 @@ def test_back_view_lands_on_the_review_only_for_a_media_item(tmp_path, f, landin
     r = c.post("/b/g/flag", data={"target": "b b.png", "on": "1", "back": "view", "f": f})
     assert r.status_code == 303
     assert r.headers["location"] == landing
+
+
+# ---- C4: the Desk -------------------------------------------------------------
+
+def _at(path: pathlib.Path, t: float) -> None:
+    import os
+    os.utime(path, (t, t))
+
+
+def _desk(body: str) -> dict[str, list[str]]:
+    """section -> the booths it renders, in render order."""
+    out = {}
+    for sec, inner in re.findall(r'<section class="desk-sec"[^>]*data-section="(\w+)"[^>]*>(.*?)</section>',
+                                 body, re.S):
+        out[sec] = re.findall(r'<article class="desk-row[^"]*" data-booth="([^"]+)"', inner)
+    return out
+
+
+def test_the_desk_triages_needs_you_then_new_then_everything_else(tmp_path):
+    """The tracer for C4: three sections, always in this order, each booth in
+    exactly one of them."""
+    from booth.marks import declare_pick
+    t0 = time.time() - 10_000    # in the PAST: a future stamp outranks every real write and hides the bug
+    asks = _booth(tmp_path, "asks", {"a.png": PNG})
+    declare_pick(asks, "q", {"prompt": "Which?", "options": ["x", "y"]})
+    _booth(tmp_path, "fresh", {"a.png": PNG})                 # never looked at
+    seen = _booth(tmp_path, "seen", {"a.png": PNG})
+    _at(seen / "a.png", t0)
+    (seen / ".viewed").write_bytes(b"")
+    _at(seen / ".viewed", t0 + 60)                            # looked AFTER it landed
+    body = _client(tmp_path).get("/").text
+    assert _desk(body) == {"needs": ["asks"], "new": ["fresh"], "rest": ["seen"]}
+    assert body.index('data-section="needs"') < body.index('data-section="new"') \
+        < body.index('data-section="rest"')
+
+
+def _set_created(booth: pathlib.Path, mark_id: str, created: str) -> None:
+    import json
+    doc = json.loads((booth / ".marks.json").read_text())
+    for m in doc["marks"]:
+        if m["id"] == mark_id:
+            m["created"] = created
+    (booth / ".marks.json").write_text(json.dumps(doc))
+
+
+def test_needs_you_orders_by_the_parsed_stamp_not_the_string(tmp_path):
+    """`created` is a string. As text, 11:00-07:00 sorts before 12:30-05:00;
+    as time it is 18:00Z against 17:30Z, so the second question is OLDER and
+    leads. An unparseable stamp, and a booth whose marks cannot be read, sort
+    after every parseable one; name breaks the tie."""
+    from booth.marks import declare_pick
+    for n in ("alpha", "bravo", "charlie", "delta"):
+        b = _booth(tmp_path, n, {"a.png": PNG})
+        if n != "delta":
+            declare_pick(b, "q", {"prompt": "?", "options": ["x", "y"]})
+    _set_created(tmp_path / "alpha", "q", "2026-09-22T11:00:00-07:00")
+    _set_created(tmp_path / "bravo", "q", "2026-09-22T12:30:00-05:00")
+    _set_created(tmp_path / "charlie", "q", "last tuesday")
+    (tmp_path / "delta" / ".marks.json").write_text("{not json")
+    body = _client(tmp_path).get("/").text
+    assert _desk(body)["needs"] == ["bravo", "alpha", "charlie", "delta"]
+    assert "marks unreadable" in body
+
+
+def test_flags_and_notes_alone_do_not_make_a_booth_need_you(tmp_path):
+    """Needs-you means a question TO the operator. Flags and notes are the
+    operator's own judgment."""
+    from booth.marks import write_note
+    b = _booth(tmp_path, "judged", {"a.png": PNG})
+    set_flag(b, "a.png", True)
+    write_note(b, None, "done here")
+    assert "needs" not in _desk(_client(tmp_path).get("/").text)
+
+
+def test_new_since_you_looked_reads_content_not_activity(tmp_path):
+    """INV-5, the two clocks. A flag made after the last look is ACTIVITY and
+    must not make a booth look new; a file landed after the last look is
+    CONTENT and must. Newest content first."""
+    t0 = time.time() - 10_000    # in the PAST: a future stamp outranks every real write and hides the bug
+    judged = _booth(tmp_path, "judged", {"a.png": PNG})
+    delivered = _booth(tmp_path, "delivered", {"a.png": PNG})
+    later = _booth(tmp_path, "later", {"a.png": PNG})
+    for b in (judged, delivered, later):
+        _at(b / "a.png", t0)
+        (b / ".viewed").write_bytes(b"")
+        _at(b / ".viewed", t0 + 10)
+    set_flag(judged, "a.png", True)                  # activity after the look
+    (delivered / "b.png").write_bytes(PNG)
+    _at(delivered / "b.png", t0 + 20)                # content after the look
+    (later / "b.png").write_bytes(PNG)
+    _at(later / "b.png", t0 + 30)                    # ...and later still
+    desk = _desk(_client(tmp_path).get("/").text)
+    assert desk["new"] == ["later", "delivered"]
+    assert desk["rest"] == ["judged"]
+
+
+def test_an_empty_section_renders_nothing_and_a_full_one_renders(tmp_path):
+    """The negative half of the kept-lane pair, carried forward: a section with
+    no booths has no heading and no box. Checked against the element, never a
+    bare word the stylesheet also contains."""
+    c = _client(tmp_path)
+    body = c.get("/").text
+    for sec in ("needs", "new", "rest"):
+        assert f'data-section="{sec}"' not in body
+    assert 'data-panel="benches"' not in body and 'data-panel="bookmarks"' not in body
+    _booth(tmp_path, "fresh", {"a.png": PNG})
+    body = c.get("/").text
+    assert 'data-section="new"' in body
+    assert 'data-section="needs"' not in body and 'data-section="rest"' not in body
+
+
+def test_a_look_then_a_judgment_leaves_the_booth_out_of_new(tmp_path):
+    """Through the routes, not hand-set markers. Every Booth write that CREATES
+    a dotfile — `.viewed`, the marks file's temp-and-replace — bumps the booth
+    DIRECTORY's mtime. A `landed_at` that read the directory would make the
+    flag you set after looking read as a fresh delivery."""
+    t0 = time.time() - 10_000    # in the PAST: a future stamp outranks every real write and hides the bug
+    b = _booth(tmp_path, "g", {"a.png": PNG})
+    _at(b / "a.png", t0)
+    _at(b, t0)
+    c = _client(tmp_path)
+    assert _desk(c.get("/").text) == {"new": ["g"]}
+    c.get("/b/g/")
+    time.sleep(0.02)
+    # Not following the 303: following it GETs the booth page, which records a
+    # fresh look and would hide the defect this pins. A session writing a mark
+    # from the CLI never looks at the page at all.
+    c.post("/b/g/flag", data={"target": "a.png", "on": "1"}, follow_redirects=False)
+    assert _desk(c.get("/").text) == {"rest": ["g"]}
+
+
+def _link(desc: str, url: str, who: str = "x-dev") -> str:
+    return f"- [{desc}]({url}) <sub>· {who} · 2026-09-01 10:00</sub>\n"
+
+
+def test_the_side_column_shows_live_benches_and_non_booth_bookmarks(tmp_path):
+    """Benches: non-retired, registry order. Bookmarks: the board the CLI
+    writes, booth URLs left out (a booth announces itself on the Desk), pinned
+    first then newest, capped at eight with the way to the rest."""
+    from booth.benches import set_bench_state, upsert_bench
+    upsert_bench(tmp_path, "http://h:1/", "live one", "a-dev")
+    retired, _ = upsert_bench(tmp_path, "http://h:2/", "old one", "a-dev")
+    set_bench_state(tmp_path, retired.id, "retired")
+    rows = "".join(_link(f"ref {n}", f"http://ref/{n}") for n in range(10))
+    rows += _link("a booth", "http://10.0.0.1:8090/b/somebooth/")
+    board = _booth(tmp_path, "links", {"links.md": rows.encode()})
+    (board / ".forever").write_bytes(b"")
+    body = _client(tmp_path).get("/").text
+    benches = re.search(r'data-panel="benches".*?</section>', body, re.S).group(0)
+    assert "live one" in benches and "old one" not in benches
+    marks = re.search(r'data-panel="bookmarks".*?</section>', body, re.S).group(0)
+    shown = re.findall(r'class="desk-mark[^"]*" href="([^"]+)"', marks)
+    assert shown == [f"http://ref/{n}" for n in (9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2)]   # newest first, 8
+    assert "all 10 on the board" in marks
+
+
+def test_a_damaged_bench_registry_says_so_rather_than_rendering_empty(tmp_path):
+    (tmp_path / ".benches.json").write_text("{broken")
+    body = _client(tmp_path).get("/").text
+    panel = re.search(r'data-panel="benches".*?</section>', body, re.S)
+    assert panel and "could not be read" in panel.group(0)
+
+
+def test_a_row_previews_four_images_keeps_blur_and_counts_flags(tmp_path):
+    """The originals shown small (no generated thumbnail), the first four in
+    item order, a blurred one still blurred. The flag count is on the row."""
+    from booth.app import set_blurred
+    b = _booth(tmp_path, "g", {f"{n}.png": PNG for n in "abcde"})
+    set_blurred(b, "b.png", True)
+    set_flag(b, "c.png", True)
+    set_flag(b, "e.png", True)
+    body = _client(tmp_path).get("/").text
+    row = re.search(r'<article class="desk-row[^"]*" data-booth="g".*?</article>', body, re.S).group(0)
+    imgs = re.findall(r'<img class="([^"]*)" loading="lazy" src="/b/g/([^"]+)"', row)
+    assert imgs == [("", "a.png"), ("blurred-thumb", "b.png"), ("", "c.png"), ("", "d.png")]
+    assert "2 flagged" in row
+
+
+def test_a_booth_without_images_shows_its_kind_instead(tmp_path):
+    _booth(tmp_path, "songs", {"a.mp3": b"ID3", "b.mp3": b"ID3"})
+    row = re.search(r'data-booth="songs".*?</article>', _client(tmp_path).get("/").text, re.S).group(0)
+    assert "♪ audio" in row and "<img" not in row