diff --git a/client/content/considering.json b/client/content/considering.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2704bbd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/content/considering.json
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{
+  "considering": [
+    "The Master considers your words.",
+    "Somewhere, dice are gathered.",
+    "The tale weighs its next turn.",
+    "The dark shifts, thinking.",
+    "A page is turned, unhurried."
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/client/scripts/harness/narrate_harness.gd b/client/scripts/harness/narrate_harness.gd
index 1ac97d9..0a6c862 100644
--- a/client/scripts/harness/narrate_harness.gd
+++ b/client/scripts/harness/narrate_harness.gd
@@ -7,12 +7,14 @@ extends Control
 const DmService = preload("res://scripts/net/dm_service.gd")
 const HttpTransport = preload("res://scripts/net/http_transport.gd")
 const FallbackLibrary = preload("res://scripts/net/fallback_library.gd")
+const ConsideringIndicator = preload("res://scripts/ui/considering_indicator.gd")
 
 var _service: DmService
 var _log: CanonLog
 var _label: RichTextLabel
 var _status: Label
 var _button: Button
+var _indicator: ConsideringIndicator
 
 
 func _ready() -> void:
@@ -39,11 +41,15 @@ func _ready() -> void:
 	_status = Label.new()
 	vbox.add_child(_status)
 
+	_indicator = ConsideringIndicator.new()
+	add_child(_indicator)
+
 
 func _on_narrate_pressed() -> void:
 	_button.disabled = true
-	_status.text = "…narrating…"
+	_indicator.start(_status)
 	var r := await _service.narrate(_log)
+	_indicator.stop()
 	_label.text = r.display_text
 	for f in r.facts:
 		_log.add_fact(f)
diff --git a/client/scripts/harness/npc_harness.gd b/client/scripts/harness/npc_harness.gd
index 0162c67..2166bd2 100644
--- a/client/scripts/harness/npc_harness.gd
+++ b/client/scripts/harness/npc_harness.gd
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ const MoveApplier = preload("res://scripts/npc/move_applier.gd")
 const ContentDB = preload("res://scripts/content/content_db.gd")
 const HttpTransport = preload("res://scripts/net/http_transport.gd")
 const FallbackLibrary = preload("res://scripts/net/fallback_library.gd")
+const ConsideringIndicator = preload("res://scripts/ui/considering_indicator.gd")
 
 const NPC_ID := "fenn"
 
@@ -20,6 +21,8 @@ var _canon_log: CanonLog
 var _output: RichTextLabel
 var _entry: LineEdit
 var _speak_btn: Button
+var _status: Label
+var _indicator: ConsideringIndicator
 
 
 func _ready() -> void:
@@ -60,6 +63,12 @@ func _ready() -> void:
 	_speak_btn.pressed.connect(_on_speak)
 	vbox.add_child(_speak_btn)
 
+	_status = Label.new()
+	vbox.add_child(_status)
+
+	_indicator = ConsideringIndicator.new()
+	add_child(_indicator)
+
 
 func _on_speak() -> void:
 	var utterance := _entry.text
@@ -72,8 +81,10 @@ func _on_speak() -> void:
 	var disposition := int(_game_state.npc_dispositions.get(NPC_ID, 0))
 	var available := NpcContent.available_moves(_content.npc(NPC_ID), _game_state, _canon_log)
 
+	_indicator.start(_status)
 	var r: NpcResult = await _service.speak(
 		NPC_ID, utterance, _canon_log, disposition, available)
+	_indicator.stop()
 
 	# Apply state explicitly (§2) — the service applied nothing.
 	MoveApplier.apply(r.valid_moves, _game_state, _canon_log, _content, NPC_ID)
diff --git a/client/scripts/net/http_transport.gd b/client/scripts/net/http_transport.gd
index dbd768c..eac8f8b 100644
--- a/client/scripts/net/http_transport.gd
+++ b/client/scripts/net/http_transport.gd
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ var _http: HTTPRequest
 
 func _init(http: HTTPRequest) -> void:
 	_http = http
+	# Bound a hung proxy so the request completes with RESULT_TIMEOUT (→ failed()
+	# → the service degrades) instead of never returning. Without this the
+	# considering-state indicator would rotate forever on a hang.
+	_http.timeout = ProxyConfig.request_timeout_seconds()
 
 
 func post_json(path: String, body: Dictionary) -> DmResponse:
diff --git a/client/scripts/net/proxy_config.gd b/client/scripts/net/proxy_config.gd
index 7573518..fecd109 100644
--- a/client/scripts/net/proxy_config.gd
+++ b/client/scripts/net/proxy_config.gd
@@ -7,8 +7,19 @@ extends RefCounted
 const SETTING := "coc_rpg/proxy_base_url"
 const DEFAULT := "http://localhost:8000"
 
+const TIMEOUT_SETTING := "coc_rpg/proxy_request_timeout_seconds"
+const TIMEOUT_DEFAULT := 35.0
+
 
 static func base_url() -> String:
 	var v = ProjectSettings.get_setting(SETTING, DEFAULT)
 	var s := str(v)
 	return s if s != "" else DEFAULT
+
+
+static func request_timeout_seconds() -> float:
+	# Just above the server's OLLAMA_TIMEOUT_SECONDS (30) so a slow model surfaces
+	# the server's own error first, while a fully-hung proxy is still bounded. A
+	# non-positive value would re-enable the infinite hang, so reject it.
+	var v := float(ProjectSettings.get_setting(TIMEOUT_SETTING, TIMEOUT_DEFAULT))
+	return v if v > 0.0 else TIMEOUT_DEFAULT
diff --git a/client/scripts/ui/considering_indicator.gd b/client/scripts/ui/considering_indicator.gd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..29843e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/scripts/ui/considering_indicator.gd
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+class_name ConsideringIndicator
+extends Node
+## Thin node shim (charter §13). While a call is in flight it rotates an authored
+## ConsideringPhrases line onto a Label every ROTATE_SECONDS, reframing the wait
+## as the GM thinking. The phrase logic is the pure, tested ConsideringPhrases;
+## the Timer/tree wiring here is the untested shim (verified by running the
+## harness). One instance persists on the harness so the rotation index is not
+## reset per call (spec decision 4).
+
+const ROTATE_SECONDS := 3.0
+
+var _phrases: ConsideringPhrases
+var _timer: Timer
+var _label: Label
+
+
+func _init(phrases: ConsideringPhrases = null) -> void:
+	_phrases = phrases if phrases != null else ConsideringPhrases.new()
+
+
+func _ready() -> void:
+	_timer = Timer.new()
+	_timer.wait_time = ROTATE_SECONDS
+	_timer.one_shot = false
+	_timer.timeout.connect(_advance)
+	add_child(_timer)
+
+
+func start(label: Label) -> void:
+	_label = label
+	_advance()  # show a phrase immediately, don't wait ROTATE_SECONDS
+	_timer.start()
+
+
+func stop() -> void:
+	_timer.stop()
+	if _label != null:
+		_label.text = ""
+		_label = null
+
+
+func _advance() -> void:
+	if _label != null:
+		_label.text = _phrases.next()
diff --git a/client/scripts/ui/considering_phrases.gd b/client/scripts/ui/considering_phrases.gd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2e397d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/scripts/ui/considering_phrases.gd
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+class_name ConsideringPhrases
+extends RefCounted
+## Authored "the GM is thinking" lines (charter §13 — even loading is content).
+## Pure: cycles a phrase pool in order on a running index that is instance state
+## (spec decision 4 — the indicator reuses one instance so the first phrase varies
+## turn to turn without randomness). A missing/malformed file degrades to one
+## hardcoded constant, so the indicator itself cannot fail.
+
+const PATH := "res://content/considering.json"
+const LAST_RESORT := "The Master considers your words."
+
+var _pool: Array = []
+var _index: int = 0
+
+
+func _init(path := PATH) -> void:
+	_pool = _load(path)
+
+
+func next() -> String:
+	if _pool.is_empty():
+		return LAST_RESORT
+	var phrase := str(_pool[_index % _pool.size()])
+	_index += 1
+	return phrase
+
+
+static func _load(path: String) -> Array:
+	if not FileAccess.file_exists(path):
+		return []
+	var text := FileAccess.get_file_as_string(path)
+	# Instance parse() (not JSON.parse_string) so malformed input returns an
+	# Error code instead of the engine error the test config promotes to a fail.
+	var json := JSON.new()
+	if json.parse(text) != OK:
+		return []
+	var data = json.get_data()
+	if typeof(data) != TYPE_DICTIONARY:
+		return []
+	var lines = data.get("considering", [])
+	return lines if typeof(lines) == TYPE_ARRAY else []
diff --git a/client/tests/unit/test_considering_indicator.gd b/client/tests/unit/test_considering_indicator.gd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e3e3bc5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/tests/unit/test_considering_indicator.gd
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+extends "res://addons/gut/test.gd"
+
+const ConsideringIndicator = preload("res://scripts/ui/considering_indicator.gd")
+const ConsideringPhrases = preload("res://scripts/ui/considering_phrases.gd")
+
+
+func test_start_shows_first_phrase_and_stop_clears():
+	# Point phrases at a missing file so next() is deterministically LAST_RESORT.
+	var phrases = ConsideringPhrases.new("res://content/does_not_exist.json")
+	var ind = ConsideringIndicator.new(phrases)
+	add_child_autofree(ind)  # _ready() creates the Timer child
+	var label := Label.new()
+	add_child_autofree(label)
+
+	ind.start(label)
+	assert_eq(label.text, ConsideringPhrases.LAST_RESORT)  # first phrase shown at once
+
+	ind.stop()
+	assert_eq(label.text, "")  # cleared on stop
diff --git a/client/tests/unit/test_considering_phrases.gd b/client/tests/unit/test_considering_phrases.gd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..db2c92d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/tests/unit/test_considering_phrases.gd
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+extends "res://addons/gut/test.gd"
+
+const ConsideringPhrases = preload("res://scripts/ui/considering_phrases.gd")
+
+
+func test_missing_file_returns_last_resort():
+	var p = ConsideringPhrases.new("res://content/does_not_exist.json")
+	assert_eq(p.next(), ConsideringPhrases.LAST_RESORT)
+	assert_eq(p.next(), ConsideringPhrases.LAST_RESORT)
+
+
+func test_cycles_pool_in_order_and_wraps():
+	# Real authored file has at least 3 lines; assert order + wrap on it.
+	var p = ConsideringPhrases.new()  # default path — real content
+	var first = p.next()
+	var second = p.next()
+	assert_ne(first, "")
+	assert_ne(first, second)  # advances, not stuck
+	# Drain a full cycle back to `first` to prove it wraps (bounded loop).
+	var seen := [first, second]
+	for i in range(20):
+		var n = p.next()
+		if n == first:
+			return  # wrapped — success
+		seen.append(n)
+	assert_true(false, "did not wrap within 22 calls: %s" % [seen])
+
+
+func test_index_persists_across_calls_not_reset():
+	var p = ConsideringPhrases.new()
+	var a = p.next()
+	var b = p.next()
+	assert_ne(a, b)  # second call did not re-return the first phrase
diff --git a/client/tests/unit/test_net_primitives.gd b/client/tests/unit/test_net_primitives.gd
index 9a6a2ca..df83615 100644
--- a/client/tests/unit/test_net_primitives.gd
+++ b/client/tests/unit/test_net_primitives.gd
@@ -62,3 +62,29 @@ func test_npc_result_fallback_is_degraded_with_no_moves():
 	assert_eq(r.valid_moves, [])
 	assert_eq(r.facts, [])
 	assert_false(r.ends_conversation)
+
+
+func test_request_timeout_default():
+	if ProjectSettings.has_setting(ProxyConfig.TIMEOUT_SETTING):
+		ProjectSettings.clear(ProxyConfig.TIMEOUT_SETTING)
+	assert_eq(ProxyConfig.request_timeout_seconds(), ProxyConfig.TIMEOUT_DEFAULT)
+
+
+func test_request_timeout_override_and_reject_nonpositive():
+	var ProxyConfig = preload("res://scripts/net/proxy_config.gd")
+	ProjectSettings.set_setting(ProxyConfig.TIMEOUT_SETTING, 12.5)
+	assert_eq(ProxyConfig.request_timeout_seconds(), 12.5)
+	# A non-positive override must NOT re-enable the hang — falls back to default.
+	ProjectSettings.set_setting(ProxyConfig.TIMEOUT_SETTING, 0.0)
+	assert_eq(ProxyConfig.request_timeout_seconds(), ProxyConfig.TIMEOUT_DEFAULT)
+	ProjectSettings.clear(ProxyConfig.TIMEOUT_SETTING)
+
+
+func test_http_transport_sets_request_timeout():
+	var HttpTransport = preload("res://scripts/net/http_transport.gd")
+	var ProxyConfig = preload("res://scripts/net/proxy_config.gd")
+	var http := HTTPRequest.new()
+	autofree(http)
+	HttpTransport.new(http)
+	assert_eq(http.timeout, ProxyConfig.request_timeout_seconds())
+	assert_gt(http.timeout, 0.0)  # the whole point — no longer disabled