here's what I can get of the error. Elephant-0.2.1 and SBCL-0.8.16.37, uffi-1.4.28 # * (get-from-root "hi") debugger invoked on a TYPE-ERROR in thread 18664: The value 7103848 is not of type (UNSIGNED-BYTE 8). You can type HELP for debugger help, or (SB-EXT:QUIT) to exit from SBCL. restarts (invokable by number or by possibly-abbreviated name): 0: [ABORT ] Reduce debugger level (leaving debugger, returning to toplevel). 1: [TOPLEVEL] Restart at toplevel READ/EVAL/PRINT loop. (SB-IMPL::OUTPUT-BYTES/LATIN-1 5 # debugger invoked on a TYPE-ERROR in thread 18664: The value 7103848 is not of type (UNSIGNED-BYTE 8). You can type HELP for debugger help, or (SB-EXT:QUIT) to exit from SBCL. restarts (invokable by number or by possibly-abbreviated name): 0: [ABORT ] Reduce debugger level (leaving debugger, returning to toplevel). 1: [TOPLEVEL] Restart at toplevel READ/EVAL/PRINT loop. (SB-IMPL::OUTPUT-BYTES/LATIN-1 5 # debugger invoked on a TYPE-ERROR in thread 18664: The value 7103848 is not of type (UNSIGNED-BYTE 8). You can type HELP for debugger help, or (SB-EXT:QUIT) to exit from SBCL. restarts (invokable by number or by possibly-abbreviated name): 0: [ABORT ] Reduce debugger level (leaving debugger, returning to toplevel). 1: [TOPLEVEL] Restart at toplevel READ/EVAL/PRINT loop. (SB-IMPL::OUTPUT-BYTES/LATIN-1 5 # debugger invoked on a TYPE-ERROR in thread 18664: The value 7103848 is not of type (UNSIGNED-BYTE 8). You can type HELP for debugger help, or (SB-EXT:QUIT) to exit from SBCL. restarts (invokable by number or by possibly-abbreviated name): 0: [ABORT ] Reduce debugger level (leaving debugger, returning to toplevel). 1: [TOPLEVEL] Restart at toplevel READ/EVAL/PRINT loop. (SB-IMPL::OUTPUT-BYTES/LATIN-1 5 # debugger invoked on a TYPE-ERROR in thread 18664: The value 7103848 is not of type (UNSIGNED-BYTE 8). You can type HELP for debugger help, or (SB-EXT:QUIT) to exit from SBCL. restarts (invokable by number or by possibly-abbreviated name): 0: [ABORT ] Reduce debugger level (leaving debugger, returning to toplevel). 1: [TOPLEVEL] Restart at toplevel READ/EVAL/PRINT loop. (SB-IMPL::OUTPUT-BYTES/LATIN-1 5 # Help! 11 nested errors. SB-KERNEL:*MAXIMUM-ERROR-DEPTH* exceeded.