diff --git a/internal/dialogue/clarify.go b/internal/dialogue/clarify.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dc6c3c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/dialogue/clarify.go
@@ -0,0 +1,171 @@
+package dialogue
+
+import (
+	"sync"
+	"time"
+)
+
+// Slot names one field of Slots. Named type, not a free string, so a missing
+// slot cannot be misspelled — the question phrasing switches on these.
+type Slot string
+
+const (
+	SlotTime  Slot = "time"  // Slots.Time / HasTime
+	SlotKey   Slot = "key"   // Slots.Key / HasKey
+	SlotValue Slot = "value" // Slots.Value (paired with Key)
+	SlotFn    Slot = "fn"    // Slots.Fn / HasFn
+	SlotText  Slot = "text"  // Slots.Text
+)
+
+// MaxAttempts is 1 because Maven is not a nag (DESIGN.md § Non-goals). She asks
+// one clarifying question. If the answer still leaves the slot empty she drops
+// the request instead of asking again.
+const MaxAttempts = 1
+
+// PendingQuestion is what Maven holds while she waits for an answer to an open
+// question. Unlike the yes/no confirms in cmd/mavend/voice.go, the answer here
+// is free text that fills a missing slot rather than a verdict.
+type PendingQuestion struct {
+	Intent    Intent // what the router already guessed
+	Slots     Slots  // what it already filled
+	Missing   []Slot // what is still empty, in the order to ask about
+	Utterance string // the user's original raw words
+	Asked     time.Time
+	TTL       time.Duration
+	Attempts  int // questions already asked; capped by MaxAttempts
+}
+
+func (q *PendingQuestion) IsExpired(now time.Time) bool {
+	return now.After(q.Asked.Add(q.TTL))
+}
+
+// CanAsk reports whether Maven may ask another question about this request.
+func (q *PendingQuestion) CanAsk() bool {
+	return q.Attempts < MaxAttempts
+}
+
+// TODO: the daemon will phrase the question text from Missing (one short ru
+// question per Slot, feminine self-reference) and speak it here.
+
+// ClarifyStore holds the parked questions. Same shape and locking as
+// SessionStore: keyed by dialogue id, expired entries dropped on read.
+type ClarifyStore struct {
+	mu         sync.RWMutex
+	questions  map[string]*PendingQuestion
+	defaultTTL time.Duration
+}
+
+func NewClarifyStore(defaultTTL time.Duration) *ClarifyStore {
+	if defaultTTL <= 0 {
+		// Short, like confirmTTL in voice.go: a clarifying question is a
+		// same-breath gesture, a stale one should not eat a later utterance.
+		defaultTTL = 90 * time.Second
+	}
+	return &ClarifyStore{
+		questions:  make(map[string]*PendingQuestion),
+		defaultTTL: defaultTTL,
+	}
+}
+
+// TODO: the daemon will Put a question here when Decision.Clarify fires, in
+// place of the flat "не разобрала" reply (cmd/mavend/voice.go).
+func (s *ClarifyStore) Put(id string, q *PendingQuestion) {
+	if q.TTL <= 0 {
+		q.TTL = s.defaultTTL
+	}
+	s.mu.Lock()
+	s.questions[id] = q
+	s.mu.Unlock()
+}
+
+// TODO: the daemon will Get on the next turn, parse that turn into Slots, call
+// Answer, and Delete — the open-question twin of resolveConfirm.
+func (s *ClarifyStore) Get(id string, now time.Time) *PendingQuestion {
+	s.mu.RLock()
+	q, ok := s.questions[id]
+	s.mu.RUnlock()
+	if !ok {
+		return nil
+	}
+	if q.IsExpired(now) {
+		s.Delete(id)
+		return nil
+	}
+	return q
+}
+
+func (s *ClarifyStore) Delete(id string) {
+	s.mu.Lock()
+	delete(s.questions, id)
+	s.mu.Unlock()
+}
+
+// Answer merges the slots parsed from the user's answer into the parked ones.
+// Only the slots listed in Missing are filled, and an already filled slot is
+// never overwritten — the answer completes the original request, it does not
+// restate it. Parsing the answer text into `answer` is the caller's job; this
+// package must stay free of internal/router.
+func (q *PendingQuestion) Answer(text string, answer Slots) Slots {
+	out := q.Slots
+	for _, slot := range q.Missing {
+		switch slot {
+		case SlotTime:
+			if !out.HasTime && answer.HasTime {
+				out.Time = answer.Time
+				out.HasTime = true
+			}
+		case SlotKey:
+			if !out.HasKey && answer.HasKey {
+				out.Key = answer.Key
+				out.HasKey = true
+			}
+		case SlotValue:
+			if out.Value == "" && answer.Value != "" {
+				out.Value = answer.Value
+			}
+		case SlotFn:
+			if !out.HasFn && answer.HasFn {
+				out.Fn = answer.Fn
+				out.HasFn = true
+				if len(out.Args) == 0 {
+					out.Args = append([]string(nil), answer.Args...)
+				}
+			}
+		case SlotText:
+			if out.Text == "" {
+				if answer.Text != "" {
+					out.Text = answer.Text
+				} else {
+					// No parse for a text slot — the raw answer IS the text.
+					out.Text = text
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return out
+}
+
+// StillMissing lists the slots that are empty in s, out of the ones asked for.
+// The caller uses it to decide between acting and dropping the request.
+func StillMissing(want []Slot, s Slots) []Slot {
+	var out []Slot
+	for _, slot := range want {
+		empty := false
+		switch slot {
+		case SlotTime:
+			empty = !s.HasTime
+		case SlotKey:
+			empty = !s.HasKey
+		case SlotValue:
+			empty = s.Value == ""
+		case SlotFn:
+			empty = !s.HasFn
+		case SlotText:
+			empty = s.Text == ""
+		}
+		if empty {
+			out = append(out, slot)
+		}
+	}
+	return out
+}
diff --git a/internal/dialogue/clarify_test.go b/internal/dialogue/clarify_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..81d05ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/dialogue/clarify_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,225 @@
+package dialogue
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+var base = time.Date(2026, 7, 31, 12, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
+
+func TestPendingQuestionIsExpired(t *testing.T) {
+	cases := []struct {
+		name string
+		ttl  time.Duration
+		now  time.Time
+		want bool
+	}{
+		{"fresh", time.Minute, base.Add(10 * time.Second), false},
+		{"exactly at ttl", time.Minute, base.Add(time.Minute), false},
+		{"past ttl", time.Minute, base.Add(2 * time.Minute), true},
+	}
+	for _, tc := range cases {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			q := &PendingQuestion{Asked: base, TTL: tc.ttl}
+			if got := q.IsExpired(tc.now); got != tc.want {
+				t.Fatalf("IsExpired = %v, want %v", got, tc.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestClarifyStoreGetPutDelete(t *testing.T) {
+	s := NewClarifyStore(time.Minute)
+
+	if got := s.Get("voice", base); got != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("empty store returned %+v", got)
+	}
+
+	q := &PendingQuestion{Intent: IntentReminder, Missing: []Slot{SlotTime}, Asked: base}
+	s.Put("voice", q)
+	if q.TTL != time.Minute {
+		t.Fatalf("Put did not apply the default TTL, got %v", q.TTL)
+	}
+	if got := s.Get("voice", base.Add(time.Second)); got != q {
+		t.Fatalf("Get returned %+v, want the parked question", got)
+	}
+
+	// Expired questions are dropped on read, not returned.
+	if got := s.Get("voice", base.Add(2*time.Minute)); got != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("expired Get returned %+v", got)
+	}
+	if got := s.Get("voice", base); got != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("expired question was not deleted: %+v", got)
+	}
+
+	s.Put("voice", &PendingQuestion{Asked: base, TTL: time.Hour})
+	s.Delete("voice")
+	if got := s.Get("voice", base); got != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Delete left %+v", got)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestNewClarifyStoreDefaultTTL(t *testing.T) {
+	s := NewClarifyStore(0)
+	q := &PendingQuestion{Asked: base}
+	s.Put("voice", q)
+	if q.TTL != 90*time.Second {
+		t.Fatalf("TTL = %v, want 90s", q.TTL)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestAnswerFillsOnlyMissingSlots(t *testing.T) {
+	answerTime := base.Add(3 * time.Hour)
+	other := base.Add(9 * time.Hour)
+
+	cases := []struct {
+		name    string
+		parked  Slots
+		missing []Slot
+		text    string
+		answer  Slots
+		want    Slots
+	}{
+		{
+			name:    "fills the missing time",
+			parked:  Slots{Text: "напомни позвонить"},
+			missing: []Slot{SlotTime},
+			text:    "в три",
+			answer:  Slots{Time: answerTime, HasTime: true},
+			want:    Slots{Text: "напомни позвонить", Time: answerTime, HasTime: true},
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "does not overwrite a filled time",
+			parked:  Slots{Time: other, HasTime: true},
+			missing: []Slot{SlotTime},
+			text:    "в три",
+			answer:  Slots{Time: answerTime, HasTime: true},
+			want:    Slots{Time: other, HasTime: true},
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "ignores slots that were not missing",
+			parked:  Slots{Key: "water", HasKey: true},
+			missing: []Slot{SlotValue},
+			text:    "два литра",
+			answer:  Slots{Key: "sleep", HasKey: true, Value: "2l"},
+			want:    Slots{Key: "water", HasKey: true, Value: "2l"},
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "fills key when empty",
+			parked:  Slots{},
+			missing: []Slot{SlotKey, SlotValue},
+			text:    "воды",
+			answer:  Slots{Key: "water", HasKey: true, Value: `"drank"`},
+			want:    Slots{Key: "water", HasKey: true, Value: `"drank"`},
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "fills fn and its args",
+			parked:  Slots{},
+			missing: []Slot{SlotFn},
+			text:    "перезапусти nginx",
+			answer:  Slots{Fn: "restart", Args: []string{"nginx"}, HasFn: true},
+			want:    Slots{Fn: "restart", Args: []string{"nginx"}, HasFn: true},
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "keeps existing args when fn was already known",
+			parked:  Slots{Fn: "restart", Args: []string{"nginx"}, HasFn: true},
+			missing: []Slot{SlotFn},
+			text:    "останови postgres",
+			answer:  Slots{Fn: "stop", Args: []string{"postgres"}, HasFn: true},
+			want:    Slots{Fn: "restart", Args: []string{"nginx"}, HasFn: true},
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "raw answer becomes the text when nothing was parsed",
+			parked:  Slots{},
+			missing: []Slot{SlotText},
+			text:    "купить хлеб",
+			answer:  Slots{},
+			want:    Slots{Text: "купить хлеб"},
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "parsed text wins over the raw answer",
+			parked:  Slots{},
+			missing: []Slot{SlotText},
+			text:    "запиши купить хлеб",
+			answer:  Slots{Text: "купить хлеб"},
+			want:    Slots{Text: "купить хлеб"},
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "empty answer leaves the slot missing",
+			parked:  Slots{Text: "напомни"},
+			missing: []Slot{SlotTime},
+			text:    "не знаю",
+			answer:  Slots{},
+			want:    Slots{Text: "напомни"},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range cases {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			q := &PendingQuestion{Slots: tc.parked, Missing: tc.missing, Asked: base}
+			got := q.Answer(tc.text, tc.answer)
+			if got.Time != tc.want.Time || got.HasTime != tc.want.HasTime ||
+				got.Key != tc.want.Key || got.HasKey != tc.want.HasKey ||
+				got.Value != tc.want.Value || got.Text != tc.want.Text ||
+				got.Fn != tc.want.Fn || got.HasFn != tc.want.HasFn {
+				t.Fatalf("Answer = %+v, want %+v", got, tc.want)
+			}
+			if len(got.Args) != len(tc.want.Args) {
+				t.Fatalf("Args = %v, want %v", got.Args, tc.want.Args)
+			}
+			for i := range got.Args {
+				if got.Args[i] != tc.want.Args[i] {
+					t.Fatalf("Args = %v, want %v", got.Args, tc.want.Args)
+				}
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestCanAskCapsAtOneQuestion(t *testing.T) {
+	if MaxAttempts != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("MaxAttempts = %d, want 1 (Maven asks once, she is not a nag)", MaxAttempts)
+	}
+	q := &PendingQuestion{Asked: base}
+	if !q.CanAsk() {
+		t.Fatal("a fresh question should be askable")
+	}
+	q.Attempts = MaxAttempts
+	if q.CanAsk() {
+		t.Fatal("the question should not be asked twice")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestStillMissing(t *testing.T) {
+	want := []Slot{SlotTime, SlotKey, SlotValue, SlotFn, SlotText}
+	cases := []struct {
+		name  string
+		slots Slots
+		want  []Slot
+	}{
+		{"all empty", Slots{}, want},
+		{
+			name:  "all filled",
+			slots: Slots{Time: base, HasTime: true, Key: "water", HasKey: true, Value: "1l", Fn: "restart", HasFn: true, Text: "t"},
+			want:  nil,
+		},
+		{
+			name:  "only value left",
+			slots: Slots{Time: base, HasTime: true, Key: "water", HasKey: true, Fn: "restart", HasFn: true, Text: "t"},
+			want:  []Slot{SlotValue},
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tc := range cases {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got := StillMissing(want, tc.slots)
+			if len(got) != len(tc.want) {
+				t.Fatalf("StillMissing = %v, want %v", got, tc.want)
+			}
+			for i := range got {
+				if got[i] != tc.want[i] {
+					t.Fatalf("StillMissing = %v, want %v", got, tc.want)
+				}
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/dialogue/session.go b/internal/dialogue/session.go
index 452d27f..a573c99 100644
--- a/internal/dialogue/session.go
+++ b/internal/dialogue/session.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ type Slots struct {
 	Time    time.Time
 	HasTime bool
 	Key     string
+	Value   string // payload for a fact key, mirrors router.Slots.Value
 	HasKey  bool
 	Text    string
 	Fn      string
@@ -104,6 +105,9 @@ func InheritSlots(prev, cur Slots) Slots {
 		out.Key = prev.Key
 		out.HasKey = true
 	}
+	if out.Value == "" && prev.Value != "" {
+		out.Value = prev.Value
+	}
 	if out.Text == "" && prev.Text != "" {
 		out.Text = prev.Text
 	}
diff --git a/internal/dialogue/session_test.go b/internal/dialogue/session_test.go
index 819efa7..735896d 100644
--- a/internal/dialogue/session_test.go
+++ b/internal/dialogue/session_test.go
@@ -113,4 +113,14 @@ func TestInheritSlots(t *testing.T) {
 	if inherited6.Text != "какая погода в москве" {
 		t.Error("should inherit text when current is empty")
 	}
+
+	prevValue := Slots{Key: "water", HasKey: true, Value: `"drank"`}
+	inherited7 := InheritSlots(prevValue, Slots{})
+	if inherited7.Value != `"drank"` {
+		t.Error("should inherit value when current is empty")
+	}
+	kept := InheritSlots(prevValue, Slots{Value: "2l"})
+	if kept.Value != "2l" {
+		t.Error("should keep current value")
+	}
 }