diff --git a/src/engine/dispatcher.test.ts b/src/engine/dispatcher.test.ts
index 35f11a3..460386a 100644
--- a/src/engine/dispatcher.test.ts
+++ b/src/engine/dispatcher.test.ts
@@ -212,3 +212,43 @@ describe('ambiguous → disambiguation flow', () => {
     expect(result.state.inventory.find((i) => i.id === 'iron-key')).toBeDefined()
   })
 })
+
+function readWorld(): World {
+  return {
+    startingRoom: 'r',
+    startingInventory: [],
+    rooms: { r: { id: 'r', title: '[ R ]', descriptions: { firstVisit: '.', revisit: '.', examined: '.' }, exits: {}, items: [] } },
+    items: {
+      letter: { id: 'letter', names: ['letter'], short: 'a letter', long: 'A letter.', initialState: {}, takeable: true, readable: true, readableText: 'You loved Halfstreet, the letter says.' },
+      rock: { id: 'rock', names: ['rock'], short: 'a rock', long: 'A rock.', initialState: {}, takeable: true },
+    },
+    encounters: {},
+    endings: {
+      true: { whenFlags: {}, narration: '' },
+      wrong: { whenFlags: {}, narration: '' },
+      bad: { whenFlags: {}, narration: '' },
+    },
+  }
+}
+
+describe('read verb', () => {
+  it('narrates readableText for a readable item in inventory', () => {
+    const world = readWorld()
+    let state = initialStateFor(world)
+    state = { ...state, inventory: [{ id: 'letter', state: {} }] }
+    const result = dispatch(state, {
+      kind: 'verb-target', verb: 'read', target: { canonical: 'letter', raw: 'letter' },
+    }, world)
+    expect(result.appended.at(-1)?.text).toBe('You loved Halfstreet, the letter says.')
+  })
+
+  it('errors politely on non-readable items', () => {
+    const world = readWorld()
+    let state = initialStateFor(world)
+    state = { ...state, inventory: [{ id: 'rock', state: {} }] }
+    const result = dispatch(state, {
+      kind: 'verb-target', verb: 'read', target: { canonical: 'rock', raw: 'rock' },
+    }, world)
+    expect(result.appended.at(-1)?.text).toBe("There's nothing to read on it.")
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/engine/dispatcher.ts b/src/engine/dispatcher.ts
index de9a49b..36b0183 100644
--- a/src/engine/dispatcher.ts
+++ b/src/engine/dispatcher.ts
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ export function dispatch(state: GameState, command: ParsedCommand, world: World)
     if (command.verb === 'take') return handleTake(stateWithNoun, command.target.canonical, world)
     if (command.verb === 'drop') return handleDrop(stateWithNoun, command.target.canonical, world)
     if (command.verb === 'examine' || command.verb === 'look') return handleExamine(stateWithNoun, command.target.canonical, world)
+    if (command.verb === 'read') return handleRead(stateWithNoun, command.target.canonical, world)
     return narrate(stateWithNoun, [{ kind: 'narration', text: `You're not sure how to ${command.verb} that.` }])
   }
 
@@ -262,3 +263,16 @@ function handleExamine(state: GameState, itemId: string, world: World): Dispatch
   if (!visible) return narrate(state, [{ kind: 'narration', text: 'You don\'t see anything like that.' }])
   return narrate(state, [{ kind: 'narration', text: item.long }])
 }
+
+function handleRead(state: GameState, itemId: string, world: World): DispatchResult {
+  const item = world.items[itemId]
+  if (!item) return narrate(state, [{ kind: 'narration', text: "You don't see anything like that." }])
+  const visible =
+    state.inventory.find((i) => i.id === itemId) ||
+    getItemsInRoom(state, world, state.location).includes(itemId)
+  if (!visible) return narrate(state, [{ kind: 'narration', text: "You don't see anything like that." }])
+  if (!item.readable || !item.readableText) {
+    return narrate(state, [{ kind: 'narration', text: "There's nothing to read on it." }])
+  }
+  return narrate(state, [{ kind: 'narration', text: item.readableText }])
+}