GitLab

This prevents later mutation by holding onto an assembler too long.
(*Getting* the child assemblers is fenced by the 'state' field;
but since none of the child assembler methods check the 'state',
some defense is needed there.  Invalidating the pointer back up is it:
this invalidation overhold of child assemblers once the user already
has them into a nonissue by making any mutations fail.)

I did a few extra-long benchmark runs to make sure this extra footwork
doesn't cost any noticable time.  It does not; it's within the margins
of error on a benchtime=4m run.