ask requests an effect. answer defines how to respond. handle runs code with that answer.

let clockAnswer := answer Clock {
  tick(k) => resume 1;
};

handle Clock.tick() answer clockAnswer;

Ask

ask Clock.tick();

The ask is the point where pure code reaches an effect boundary.

Answer

let clockAnswer := answer Clock {
  tick(k) => resume 1;
};

An answer receives the continuation and resumes it with a value.

handle Clock.tick() answer clockAnswer;

A handler keeps policy at the edge. Code inside can ask for the effect without knowing whether the answer is real, fake, cached, or logged.

The parameter k is the continuation for the ask. resume 1 sends a value back to the waiting code.

Keep answers short. If answering needs policy, parse config, or logging, move that work into named helpers and keep the handler readable.