diff --git a/src/c/debug.h b/src/c/debug.h
index dc833dd..1f66a9f 100644
--- a/src/c/debug.h
+++ b/src/c/debug.h
@@ -17,6 +17,11 @@
 #include <stddef.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 
+/*
+ * wide characters
+ */
+#include <wchar.h>
+#include <wctype.h>
 
 /**
  * @brief Print messages debugging memory allocation. 
diff --git a/src/c/memory/header.h b/src/c/memory/header.h
index 429cda1..42fa488 100644
--- a/src/c/memory/header.h
+++ b/src/c/memory/header.h
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ struct pso_header {
             char mnemonic[TAGLENGTH];
             /** size class for this object */
             uint8_t size_class;
-        } tag;
+        } bytes;
         /** the tag considered as a number */
         uint32_t value;
     } tag;
diff --git a/src/c/memory/memory.h b/src/c/memory/memory.h
index fc242c2..33e9d39 100644
--- a/src/c/memory/memory.h
+++ b/src/c/memory/memory.h
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
  * since managed objects require a two word header; it's unlikely that
  * these undersized size classes will be used at all.
  */
-#define MAX_SIZE_CLASS = 0xf
+#define MAX_SIZE_CLASS 0xf
 
 int initialise_memory(  );
 
diff --git a/src/c/memory/page.c b/src/c/memory/page.c
index 1486301..2fdaf79 100644
--- a/src/c/memory/page.c
+++ b/src/c/memory/page.c
@@ -9,7 +9,10 @@
 
 #include <math.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
 
+#include "debug.h"
 #include "memory/memory.h"
 #include "memory/node.h"
 #include "memory/page.h"
@@ -36,13 +39,13 @@
  * to hold the number of pages we *might* create at start up time. We need a
  * way to grow the number of pages, while keeping access to them cheap.
  */
-struct page * pages[NPAGES];
+union page * pages[NPAGES];
 
 /**
  * @brief the number of pages which have thus far been allocated.
  * 
  */
-uint32_t npages_allocated = 0
+uint32_t npages_allocated = 0;
 
 /**
  * @brief private to allocate_page; do not use.
@@ -51,10 +54,11 @@ uint32_t npages_allocated = 0
  * @param page_index its location in the pages[] array;
  * @param size_class the size class of objects in this page;
  * @param freelist the freelist for objects of this size class.
- * @return struct cons_pointer the new head for the freelist for this size_class,
+ * @return struct pso_pointer the new head for the freelist for this size_class,
  */
-struct cons_pointer initialise_page( struct page * page_addr, uint16_t page_index, uint8_t size_class, pso_pointer freelist) {
-    struct cons_pointer result = freelist;
+struct pso_pointer initialise_page( union page* page_addr, uint16_t page_index, 
+    uint8_t size_class, struct pso_pointer freelist) {
+    struct pso_pointer result = freelist;
     int obj_size = pow(2, size_class);
     int obj_bytes = obj_size  * sizeof(uint64_t);
     int objs_in_page = PAGE_BYTES/obj_bytes;
@@ -64,16 +68,14 @@ struct cons_pointer initialise_page( struct page * page_addr, uint16_t page_inde
     // `nil` and the next on for `t`.
     for (int i = objs_in_page - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
         // it should be safe to cast any pso object to a pso2
-        struct pso2* object = (pso2 *)(page_addr + (i * obj_bytes)); 
+        struct pso2* object = (struct pso2 *)(page_addr + (i * obj_bytes)); 
 
-        object->header.tag.size_class = size_class;
-        strncpy( (char *)(object->header.tag.mnemonic), FREETAG, TAGLENGTH);
+        object->header.tag.bytes.size_class = size_class;
+        strncpy( (char *)(object->header.tag.bytes.mnemonic), FREETAG, TAGLENGTH);
         object->payload.free.next = result;
 
         result = make_pointer( node_index, page_index, (uint16_t)( i * obj_size));
     }
-
-    return result;
 }
 
 /** 
@@ -89,8 +91,8 @@ struct cons_pointer initialise_page( struct page * page_addr, uint16_t page_inde
  * @param size_class an integer in the range 0...MAX_SIZE_CLASS.
  * @return t on success, an exception if an error occurred.
  */
-struct cons_pointer allocate_page( uint8_t size_class ) {
-    struct cons_pointer result = t;
+struct pso_pointer allocate_page( uint8_t size_class ) {
+    struct pso_pointer result = t;
 
     if ( npages_allocated == 0) {
         for (int i = 0; i < NPAGES; i++) {
@@ -101,17 +103,17 @@ struct cons_pointer allocate_page( uint8_t size_class ) {
 
     if ( npages_allocated < NPAGES) {    
         if ( size_class >= 2 && size_class <= MAX_SIZE_CLASS ) {
-            result = malloc( sizeof( page ) );
+            void* pg = malloc( sizeof( union page ) );
 
-            if ( result != NULL ) {
-                memset( result, 0, sizeof( page ) );
-                pages[ npages_allocated] = result;
+            if ( pg != NULL ) {
+                memset( pg, 0, sizeof( union page ) );
+                pages[ npages_allocated] = pg;
                 debug_printf( DEBUG_ALLOC, 0, 
                     L"Allocated page %d for objects of size class %x.\n", 
                     npages_allocated, size_class);
 
                 freelists[size_class] =
-                    initialise_page( result, npages_allocated, size_class, freelists[size_class] );
+                    initialise_page( (union page*)pg, npages_allocated, size_class, freelists[size_class] );
 
                 debug_printf( DEBUG_ALLOC, 0, 
                     L"Initialised page %d; freelist for size class %x updated.\n", 
diff --git a/src/c/memory/page.h b/src/c/memory/page.h
index 522b2fa..b5285f5 100644
--- a/src/c/memory/page.h
+++ b/src/c/memory/page.h
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #ifndef __psse_memory_page_h
 #define __psse_memory_page_h
 
+#include "memory/pointer.h"
 #include "memory/pso2.h"
 #include "memory/pso3.h"
 #include "memory/pso4.h"
@@ -38,7 +39,7 @@
  */
 #define NPAGES 64
 
-extern struct page *pages[NPAGES];
+extern union page *pages[NPAGES];
 
 /**
  * @brief A page is a megabyte of memory which contains objects all of which 
@@ -53,22 +54,25 @@ extern struct page *pages[NPAGES];
  * collection they will be returned to that freelist. 
  */
 union page {
-    uint8_t[PAGE_BYTES] bytes;
-    uint64_t[PAGE_BYTES / 8] words;
-    struct pso2[PAGE_BYTES / 32] pso2s;
-    struct pso3[PAGE_BYTES / 64] pso3s;
-    struct pso4[PAGE_BYTES / 128] pso4s;
-    struct pso5[PAGE_BYTES / 256] pso5s;
-    struct pso6[PAGE_BYTES / 512] pso6s;
-    struct pso7[PAGE_BYTES / 1024] pso7s;
-    struct pso8[PAGE_BYTES / 2048] pso8s;
-    struct pso9[PAGE_BYTES / 4096] pso9s;
-    struct psoa[PAGE_BYTES / 8192] psoas;
-    struct psob[PAGE_BYTES / 16384] psobs;
-    struct psoc[PAGE_BYTES / 32768] psocs;
-    struct psod[PAGE_BYTES / 65536] psods;
-    struct psoe[PAGE_BYTES / 131072] psoes;
-    struct psof[PAGE_BYTES / 262144] psofs;
+    uint8_t bytes[PAGE_BYTES];
+    uint64_t words[PAGE_BYTES / 8];
+    struct pso2 pso2s[PAGE_BYTES / 32];
+    struct pso3 pso3s[PAGE_BYTES / 64];
+    struct pso4 pso4s[PAGE_BYTES / 128];
+    struct pso5 pso5s[PAGE_BYTES / 256];
+    struct pso6 pso6s[PAGE_BYTES / 512];
+    struct pso7 pso7s[PAGE_BYTES / 1024];
+    struct pso8 pso8s[PAGE_BYTES / 2048];
+    struct pso9 pso9s[PAGE_BYTES / 4096];
+    struct psoa psoas[PAGE_BYTES / 8192];
+    struct psob psobs[PAGE_BYTES / 16384];
+    struct psoc psocs[PAGE_BYTES / 32768];
+    struct psod psods[PAGE_BYTES / 65536];
+    struct psoe psoes[PAGE_BYTES / 131072];
+    struct psof psofs[PAGE_BYTES / 262144];
 };
 
+struct pso_pointer initialise_page( union page * page_addr, uint16_t page_index, 
+    uint8_t size_class, struct pso_pointer freelist);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/src/c/memory/pso2.h b/src/c/memory/pso2.h
index 9e838c4..e8305d0 100644
--- a/src/c/memory/pso2.h
+++ b/src/c/memory/pso2.h
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 #include "payloads/special.h"
 #include "payloads/string.h"
 #include "payloads/symbol.h"
-#include "payloads/time.h"
+// #include "payloads/time.h"
 #include "payloads/vector_pointer.h"
 #include "payloads/write_stream.h"
 
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ struct pso2 {
         struct lambda_payload lambda;
 //        struct special_payload special;
         struct stream_payload stream;
-        struct time_payload time;
+//        struct time_payload time;
         struct vectorp_payload vectorp;
     } payload;
 };
diff --git a/src/c/payloads/cons.c b/src/c/payloads/cons.c
index 5eaf2b6..6a002c8 100644
--- a/src/c/payloads/cons.c
+++ b/src/c/payloads/cons.c
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include "memory/node.h"
 #include "memory/pointer.h"
 #include "memory/pso.h"
+#include "memory/pso2.h"
 #include "payloads/cons.h"
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/c/payloads/stack.c b/src/c/payloads/stack.c
index 484c13d..5cb2113 100644
--- a/src/c/payloads/stack.c
+++ b/src/c/payloads/stack.c
@@ -8,12 +8,10 @@
  */
 
 #include "memory/node.h"
-#include "memory/pso.h"
+#include "memory/pso2.h"
+#include "memory/pso4.h"
 #include "payloads/stack.h"
 
-#define STACKTAG "STK"
-#define STACKTV  4936787
-
 /** 
  * @brief The maximum depth of stack before we throw an exception.
  *
diff --git a/src/c/payloads/stack.h b/src/c/payloads/stack.h
index 23fb8e5..4225dbc 100644
--- a/src/c/payloads/stack.h
+++ b/src/c/payloads/stack.h
@@ -13,8 +13,9 @@
 #define __psse_payloads_stack_h
 
 #include "memory/pointer.h"
-#include "memory/pso2.h"
-#include "memory/pso4.h"
+
+#define STACKTAG "STK"
+#define STACKTV  4936787
 
 /*
  * number of arguments stored in a stack frame
diff --git a/src/c/payloads/time.h b/src/c/payloads/time.h
index fd67716..cc1ef0a 100644
--- a/src/c/payloads/time.h
+++ b/src/c/payloads/time.h
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
  * convenience, 14Bn years before 1st Jan 1970 (the UNIX epoch))
  */
 struct time_payload {
-    unsigned __int128 value;
+    unsigned __int128_t value;
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/c/psse.c b/src/c/psse.c
index 5c67b6f..5f5f2fb 100644
--- a/src/c/psse.c
+++ b/src/c/psse.c
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ int main( int argc, char *argv[] ) {
 
     initialise_node( 0 );
 
-    repl(  );
+    // repl(  );
 
     exit( 0 );
 }
diff --git a/src/c/psse.h b/src/c/psse.h
index 0c57020..0fe9b43 100644
--- a/src/c/psse.h
+++ b/src/c/psse.h
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 
 #include "debug.h"
 #include "memory/memory.h"
-#include "memory/stack.h"
+#include "payloads/stack.h"
 #include "version.h"
 
 #endif