diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 701b16b..49bf5e1 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -21,14 +21,13 @@ INDENT_FLAGS := -nbad -bap -nbc -br -brf -brs -c33 -cd33 -ncdb -ce -ci4 -cli4 \
 CPPFLAGS ?= $(INC_FLAGS) -MMD -MP -g -DDEBUG
 LDFLAGS := -lm -lcurl
 DEBUGFLAGS := -g3
-GCCFLAGS := -std=gnu23
 
 all: $(TARGET)
 
 Debug: $(TARGET)
 
 $(TARGET): $(OBJS) Makefile
-	$(CC) $(GCCFLAGS) $(DEBUGFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS) $(OBJS) -o $@ $(LDFLAGS) $(LOADLIBES) $(LDLIBS)
+	$(CC) $(DEBUGFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS) $(OBJS) -o $@ $(LDFLAGS) $(LOADLIBES) $(LDLIBS)
 
 doc: $(SRCS) Makefile Doxyfile
 	doxygen
diff --git a/src/c/io/read.c b/src/c/io/read.c
deleted file mode 100644
index 9760023..0000000
--- a/src/c/io/read.c
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,72 +0,0 @@
-/**
- *  read.c
- *
- *  Read basic Lisp objects..This is :bootstrap layer print; it needs to be
- *  able to read characters, symbols, integers, lists and dotted pairs. I
- *  don't think it needs to be able to read anything else. It must, however,
- *  take a readtable as argument and expand reader macros.
- *
- *
- * (c) 2017 Simon Brooke <simon@journeyman.cc>
- * Licensed under GPL version 2.0, or, at your option, any later version.
- */
-
-#include <math.h>
-#include <stdbool.h>
-#include <stdint.h>
-#include <stdio.h>
-
-/*
- * wide characters
- */
-#include <wchar.h>
-#include <wctype.h>
-
-#include "debug.h"
-#include "memory/node.h"
-#include "memory/pointer.h"
-#include "memory/pso2.h"
-
-#include "io/io.h"
-#include "io/read.h"
-
-#include "payloads/integer.h"
-#include "ops/stack_ops.h"
-
-
-// TODO: what I've copied from 0.0.6 is *wierdly* over-complex for just now.
-// I think I'm going to essentially delete all this and start again. We need
-// to be able to despatch on readttables, and the initial readtable functions
-// don't need to be written in Lisp.
-//
-// In the long run a readtable ought to be a hashtable, but for now an assoc
-// list will do.
-//
-// A readtable function is a Lisp function so needs the stackframe and the
-// environment. Other arguments (including the output stream) should be passed
-// in the argument, so I think the first arg in the frame is the character read;
-// the next is the input stream; the next is the readtable, if any.
-
-/*
- * for the time being things which may be read are: 
- * * integers
- * * lists 
- * * atoms
- * * dotted pairs
- */
-
-/**
- * An example wrapper function while I work out how I'm going to do this.
- */
-struct pso_pointer read_example( struct pso4 *frame,
-                            struct pso_pointer frame_pointer,
-                            struct pso_pointer env) {
-	struct pso_pointer character = fetch_arg( frame, 0);
-	struct pso_pointer stream = fetch_arg( frame, 1);
-	struct pso_pointer readtable = fetch_arg( frame, 2);
-
-	return character;
-}
-
-
-// struct pso_pointer read
diff --git a/src/c/memory/page.c b/src/c/memory/page.c
index c5c735e..2d3319d 100644
--- a/src/c/memory/page.c
+++ b/src/c/memory/page.c
@@ -152,11 +152,3 @@ struct pso_pointer allocate_page( uint8_t size_class ) {
 
     return result;
 }
-
-/**
- * @brief allow other files to see the current value of npages_allocated, but not
- * change it.
- */
-uint32_t get_pages_allocated() {
-	return npages_allocated;
-}
diff --git a/src/c/memory/page.h b/src/c/memory/page.h
index 3df37e6..ba64d38 100644
--- a/src/c/memory/page.h
+++ b/src/c/memory/page.h
@@ -74,6 +74,4 @@ union page {
 
 struct pso_pointer allocate_page( uint8_t size_class );
 
-uint32_t get_pages_allocated();
-
 #endif
diff --git a/src/c/memory/pointer.c b/src/c/memory/pointer.c
index 8120e78..8227151 100644
--- a/src/c/memory/pointer.c
+++ b/src/c/memory/pointer.c
@@ -41,13 +41,8 @@ struct pso2 *pointer_to_object( struct pso_pointer pointer ) {
     struct pso2 *result = NULL;
 
     if ( pointer.node == node_index ) {
-    	if (pointer.page < get_pages_allocated() && pointer.offset < (PAGE_BYTES / 8)) {
-    		// TODO: that's not really a safe test of whether this is a valid pointer.
-			union page *pg = pages[pointer.page];
-			result = ( struct pso2 * ) &pg->words[pointer.offset];
-    	} else {
-    		// TODO: throw bad pointer exception.
-    	}
+        union page *pg = pages[pointer.page];
+        result = ( struct pso2 * ) &pg->words[pointer.offset];
     }
     // TODO: else if we have a copy of the object in cache, return that;
     // else request a copy of the object from the node which curates it.
diff --git a/src/c/memory/pso2.h b/src/c/memory/pso2.h
index 812d582..0c36b29 100644
--- a/src/c/memory/pso2.h
+++ b/src/c/memory/pso2.h
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
 
 #include <stdint.h>
 
-#include "../payloads/psse_string.h"
 #include "memory/header.h"
 #include "payloads/character.h"
 #include "payloads/cons.h"
@@ -23,6 +22,7 @@
 #include "payloads/lambda.h"
 #include "payloads/nlambda.h"
 #include "payloads/read_stream.h"
+#include "payloads/psse-string.h"
 #include "payloads/symbol.h"
 #include "payloads/time.h"
 #include "payloads/vector_pointer.h"
diff --git a/src/c/ops/assoc.c b/src/c/ops/assoc.c
deleted file mode 100644
index 8589966..0000000
--- a/src/c/ops/assoc.c
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,92 +0,0 @@
-/**
- *  ops/assoc.c
- *
- *  Post Scarcity Software Environment: assoc.
- *
- *  Search a store for the value associated with a key.
- *
- *  (c) 2026 Simon Brooke <simon@journeyman.cc>
- *  Licensed under GPL version 2.0, or, at your option, any later version.
- */
-
-#include <stdbool.h>
-
-#include "memory/node.h"
-#include "memory/pointer.h"
-#include "memory/pso2.h"
-#include "memory/tags.h"
-
-#include "payloads/cons.h"
-
-#include "ops/eq.h"
-#include "ops/truth.h"
-
-/**
- * @brief: fundamental search function; only knows about association lists
- *
- * @param key a pointer indicating the key to search for;
- * @param store a pointer indicating the store to search;
- * @param return_key if a binding is found for `key` in `store`, if true
- * 			return the key found in the store, else return the value
- *
- * @return nil if no binding for `key` is found in `store`; otherwise, if
- * 			`return_key` is true, return the key from the store; else
- * 			return the binding.
- */
-struct pso_pointer search( struct pso_pointer key,
-                                  struct pso_pointer store,
-                                  bool return_key ) {
-	struct pso_pointer result = nil;
-	bool found = false;
-
-	if (consp( store)) {
-		for ( struct pso_pointer cursor = store;
-				consp( store) && found == false;
-				cursor = cdr( cursor)) {
-			struct pso_pointer pair = car( cursor);
-
-			if (consp(pair) && equal(car(pair), key)) {
-				found = true;
-				result = return_key ? car(pair) : cdr( pair);
-			}
-		}
-	}
-
-	return result;
-}
-
-/**
- * @prief: bootstap layer assoc; only knows about association lists.
- *
- * @param key a pointer indicating the key to search for;
- * @param store a pointer indicating the store to search;
- *
- * @return a pointer to the value of the key in the store, or nil if not found
- */
-struct pso_pointer assoc( struct pso_pointer key, struct pso_pointer store) {
-	return search( key, store, false);
-}
-
-/**
- * @prief: bootstap layer interned; only knows about association lists.
- *
- * @param key a pointer indicating the key to search for;
- * @param store a pointer indicating the store to search;
- *
- * @return a pointer to the copy of the key in the store, or nil if not found.
- */
-struct pso_pointer interned(struct pso_pointer key, struct pso_pointer store) {
-	return search( key, store, true);
-}
-
-/**
- * @prief: bootstap layer interned; only knows about association lists.
- *
- * @param key a pointer indicating the key to search for;
- * @param store a pointer indicating the store to search;
- *
- * @return `true` if a pointer the key was found in the store..
- */
-bool internedp(struct pso_pointer key, struct pso_pointer store) {
-	return !nilp( search( key, store, true));
-}
diff --git a/src/c/ops/assoc.h b/src/c/ops/assoc.h
deleted file mode 100644
index e5572f9..0000000
--- a/src/c/ops/assoc.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,28 +0,0 @@
-/**
- *  ops/assoc.h
- *
- *  Post Scarcity Software Environment: assoc.
- *
- *  Search a store for the value associated with a key.
- *
- *  (c) 2026 Simon Brooke <simon@journeyman.cc>
- *  Licensed under GPL version 2.0, or, at your option, any later version.
- */
-
-#ifndef __psse_ops_assoc_h
-#define __psse_ops_assoc_h
-
-#include <stdbool.h>
-
-#include "memory/pointer.h"
-
-struct cons_pointer search( struct pso_pointer key,
-                                  struct pso_pointer store,
-                                  bool return_key );
-
-struct pso_pointer assoc( struct pso_pointer key, struct pso_pointer store);
-
-struct pso_pointer interned(struct pso_pointer key, struct pso_pointer store);
-
-bool internedp(struct pso_pointer key, struct pso_pointer store);
-#endif
diff --git a/src/c/ops/eq.c b/src/c/ops/eq.c
index ed274f9..8ca0550 100644
--- a/src/c/ops/eq.c
+++ b/src/c/ops/eq.c
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  *
  *  Post Scarcity Software Environment: eq.
  *
- *  Test for pointer equality; bootstrap level tests for object equality.
+ *  Test for pointer equality.
  *
  *  (c) 2026 Simon Brooke <simon@journeyman.cc>
  *  Licensed under GPL version 2.0, or, at your option, any later version.
@@ -12,11 +12,6 @@
 #include "memory/memory.h"
 #include "memory/node.h"
 #include "memory/pointer.h"
-#include "memory/pso2.h"
-#include "memory/tags.h"
-
-#include "payloads/cons.h"
-#include "payloads/integer.h"
 #include "payloads/stack.h"
 #include "ops/stack_ops.h"
 #include "ops/truth.h"
@@ -37,39 +32,6 @@ bool eq( struct pso_pointer a, struct pso_pointer b ) {
     return ( a.node == b.node && a.page == b.page && a.offset == b.offset );
 }
 
-bool equal( struct pso_pointer a, struct pso_pointer b) {
-	bool result = false;
-
-	if ( eq( a, b)) {
-		result = true;
-	} else if ( get_tag_value(a) == get_tag_value(b)) {
-		switch ( get_tag_value(a)) {
-		case CONSTV :
-			result = (equal( car(a), car(b)) && equal( cdr(a), cdr(b)));
-			break;
-		case INTEGERTV :
-			result = (pointer_to_object(a)->payload.integer.value ==
-					pointer_to_object(b)->payload.integer.value);
-			break;
-		case KEYTV:
-		case STRINGTV :
-		case SYMBOLTV :
-			while (result == false && !nilp(a) && !nilp(b)) {
-				if (pointer_to_object(a)->payload.string.character ==
-						pointer_to_object(b)->payload.string.character) {
-					a = cdr(a);
-					b = cdr(b);
-				}
-			}
-			result = nilp(a) && nilp(b);
-			break;
-		}
-	}
-
-	return result;
-}
-
-
 /**
  * Function; do all arguments to this finction point to the same object? 
  *
@@ -98,5 +60,3 @@ struct pso_pointer lisp_eq( struct pso4 *frame,
 
     return result;
 }
-
-
diff --git a/src/c/ops/eq.h b/src/c/ops/eq.h
index 4b4300c..ca330f4 100644
--- a/src/c/ops/eq.h
+++ b/src/c/ops/eq.h
@@ -22,5 +22,4 @@ struct pso_pointer lisp_eq( struct pso4 *frame,
                             struct pso_pointer frame_pointer,
                             struct pso_pointer env );
 
-bool equal( struct pso_pointer a, struct pso_pointer b);
 #endif
diff --git a/src/c/ops/reverse.c b/src/c/ops/reverse.c
deleted file mode 100644
index 1b70342..0000000
--- a/src/c/ops/reverse.c
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,55 +0,0 @@
-/**
- *  ops/reverse.c
- *
- *  Post Scarcity Software Environment: reverse.
- *
- *  Reverse a sequence. Didn'e want to do this in the substrate, but I need
- *  if for reading atoms!.
- *
- *  (c) 2026 Simon Brooke <simon@journeyman.cc>
- *  Licensed under GPL version 2.0, or, at your option, any later version.
- */
-
-#include <stdbool.h>
-
-#include "memory/node.h"
-#include "memory/pointer.h"
-#include "memory/pso.h"
-#include "memory/pso2.h"
-#include "memory/tags.h"
-
-#include "payloads/cons.h"
-#include "payloads/exception.h"
-#include "payloads/psse_string.h"
-
-#include "ops/string_ops.h"
-#include "ops/truth.h"
-
-struct pso_pointer reverse( struct pso_pointer sequence) {
-	struct pso_pointer result = nil;
-
-	for (struct pso_pointer cursor = sequence; !nilp( sequence); cursor = cdr(cursor)) {
-		struct pso2* object = pointer_to_object( cursor);
-		switch (get_tag_value(cursor)) {
-		case CONSTV :
-				result = cons( car(cursor), result);
-				break;
-		case KEYTV :
-			result = make_string_like_thing( object->payload.string.character, result, KEYTAG);
-			break;
-		case STRINGTV :
-			result = make_string_like_thing( object->payload.string.character, result, STRINGTAG);
-			break;
-		case SYMBOLTV :
-			result = make_string_like_thing( object->payload.string.character, result, SYMBOLTAG);
-			break;
-		default :
-			result = make_exception( c_string_to_lisp_string(L"Invalid object in sequence"), nil, nil);
-			goto exit;
-			break;
-		}
-	}
-exit:
-
-	return result;
-}
diff --git a/src/c/ops/reverse.h b/src/c/ops/reverse.h
deleted file mode 100644
index 18cb36e..0000000
--- a/src/c/ops/reverse.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,21 +0,0 @@
-/**
- *  ops/reverse.h
- *
- *  Post Scarcity Software Environment: reverse.
- *
- *  Reverse a sequence.
- *
- *  (c) 2026 Simon Brooke <simon@journeyman.cc>
- *  Licensed under GPL version 2.0, or, at your option, any later version.
- */
-
-#ifndef __psse_ops_reverse_h
-#define __psse_ops_reverse_h
-
-#include <stdbool.h>
-
-#include "memory/pointer.h"
-
-struct pso_pointer reverse( struct pso_pointer sequence);
-
-#endif
diff --git a/src/c/payloads/cons.c b/src/c/payloads/cons.c
index 8fde4b4..2417385 100644
--- a/src/c/payloads/cons.c
+++ b/src/c/payloads/cons.c
@@ -14,11 +14,7 @@
 #include "memory/pso.h"
 #include "memory/pso2.h"
 #include "memory/tags.h" 
-
 #include "payloads/cons.h"
-#include "payloads/exception.h"
-
-#include "ops/string_ops.h"
 
 /**
  * @brief allocate a cons cell with this car and this cdr, and return a pointer
@@ -62,29 +58,19 @@ struct pso_pointer car( struct pso_pointer cons ) {
 }
 
 /**
- * @brief return the cdr of this cons (or other sequence) cell.
+ * @brief return the cdr of this cons cell.
  * 
  * @param cons a pointer to the cell.
  * @return the cdr of the indicated cell.
  * @exception if the pointer does not indicate a cons cell.
  */
-struct pso_pointer cdr( struct pso_pointer p ) {
+struct pso_pointer cdr( struct pso_pointer cons ) {
     struct pso_pointer result = nil;
     struct pso2 *object = pointer_to_object( result );
 
-    switch (get_tag_value( p)) {
-    case CONSTV : result = object->payload.cons.cdr; break;
-    case KEYTV :
-    case STRINGTV :
-    case SYMBOLTV :
-    	result = object->payload.string.cdr; break;
-    default :
-    	result = make_exception(
-    			cons(c_string_to_lisp_string(L"Invalid type for cdr"), p),
-				nil, nil);
-    	break;
+    if ( consp( cons ) ) {
+        result = object->payload.cons.cdr;
     }
-
     // TODO: else throw an exception
 
     return result;
diff --git a/src/c/payloads/exception.h b/src/c/payloads/exception.h
index bb1777f..1b082ae 100644
--- a/src/c/payloads/exception.h
+++ b/src/c/payloads/exception.h
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ struct exception_payload {
     struct pso_pointer cause;
 };
 
-struct pso_pointer make_exception( struct pso_pointer message,
-		struct pso_pointer frame_pointer, struct pso_pointer cause);
+struct pso_pointer make_exception( struct pso_pointer message, struct pso_pointer frame_pointer, struct pso_pointer cause);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/c/payloads/psse_string.h b/src/c/payloads/psse-string.h
similarity index 100%
rename from src/c/payloads/psse_string.h
rename to src/c/payloads/psse-string.h
diff --git a/src/c/payloads/stack.c b/src/c/payloads/stack.c
deleted file mode 100644
index 7008b20..0000000
--- a/src/c/payloads/stack.c
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,66 +0,0 @@
-/**
- *  payloads/stack.h
- *
- *  a Lisp stack frame.
- *
- *  Sits in a pso4.
- *
- *  (c) 2026 Simon Brooke <simon@journeyman.cc>
- *  Licensed under GPL version 2.0, or, at your option, any later version.
- */
-
-#include <stdarg.h>
-
-#include "memory/node.h"
-#include "memory/pointer.h"
-#include "memory/pso.h"
-#include "memory/pso2.h"
-#include "memory/pso4.h"
-#include "memory/tags.h"
-
-/**
- * @brief Construct a stack frame with this `previous` pointer, and arguments
- * taken from the remaining arguments to this function, which should all be
- * struct pso_pointer.
- *
- * @return a pso_pointer to the stack frame.
- */
-struct pso_pointer make_frame( struct pso_pointer previous, ...) {
-	va_list args;
-    va_start(args, previous);
-    int count = va_arg(args, int);
-
-	struct pso_pointer frame_pointer = allocate( STACKTAG, 4);
-	struct pso4* frame = (struct pso4*)pointer_to_object( frame_pointer);
-
-	frame->payload.stack_frame.previous = previous;
-
-	// I *think* the count starts with the number of args, so there are
-	// one fewer actual args. Need to test to verify this!
-	count --;
-	int cursor = 0;
-	frame->payload.stack_frame.args = count;
-
-	for ( ; cursor < count && cursor < args_in_frame; cursor++) {
-		struct pso_pointer argument = va_arg( args, struct pso_pointer);
-
-		frame->payload.stack_frame.arg[cursor] = argument;
-	}
-	if ( cursor < count) {
-		struct pso_pointer more_args = nil;
-
-		for (; cursor < count; cursor++) {
-			more_args = cons( va_arg( args, struct pso_pointer), more_args);
-		}
-
-		// should be frame->payload.stack_frame.more = reverse( more_args), but
-		// we don't have reverse yet. TODO: fix.
-		frame->payload.stack_frame.more = more_args;
-	} else {
-		for (; cursor < args_in_frame; cursor++) {
-			frame->payload.stack_frame.arg[cursor] = nil;
-		}
-	}
-
-	return frame_pointer;
-}
diff --git a/src/c/payloads/stack.h b/src/c/payloads/stack.h
index a43b1e8..b33d7a3 100644
--- a/src/c/payloads/stack.h
+++ b/src/c/payloads/stack.h
@@ -37,6 +37,4 @@ struct stack_frame_payload {
     uint32_t depth;
 };
 
-struct pso_pointer make_frame( struct pso_pointer previous, ...);
-
 #endif