diff --git a/frame.fnl b/frame.fnl
index 260c0fb..e7eae03 100644
--- a/frame.fnl
+++ b/frame.fnl
@@ -12,7 +12,12 @@
         vpad 2
         self {}
         recogniser (keymap.recogniser global-keymap)
+        bottom-line (Gtk.Stack {
+                                :transition_type Gtk.StackTransitionType.SLIDE_UP_DOWN
+                                :transition_duration 100
+                                })
         commander (Command.commander self)
+        echo-area (Gtk.Label { :label "echo area visible, commander hidden" })
         window (Gtk.Window {
                             :title "Dunlin"
                             :default_width 800
@@ -39,6 +44,16 @@
                         n
                         (comment (print "prop change" n value))))]
 
+    (doto bottom-line
+      (: :add_named echo-area "echo-area")
+      (: :add_named commander.widget "commander")
+      (: :set_visible_child_name "commander"))
+
+    (doto container
+      (: :pack_start progress-bar false false vpad)
+      (: :pack_start contentwidget true true vpad)
+      (: :pack_end bottom-line false false vpad))
+
     (tset window :on_key_release_event
           (fn [window event]
             (when (not (commander:active?))
@@ -53,10 +68,9 @@
                        (= event.keyval (string.byte "x")))
               (commander:activate))))
 
-    (doto container
-      (: :pack_start commander.widget false false vpad)
-      (: :pack_start progress-bar false false vpad)
-      (: :pack_start contentwidget true true vpad))
+    (echo-area:show) (commander.widget:show)
+
+
     (window:add container)
     (window:show_all)
     (let [f
diff --git a/keymap.fnl b/keymap.fnl
index 192798d..fc69554 100644
--- a/keymap.fnl
+++ b/keymap.fnl
@@ -86,33 +86,47 @@
           (values f (compile-keymap v))
           (values f v)))))
 
+(fn ref [tbl keys]
+  (when tbl
+    (match keys
+      [k1 & more] (ref (. tbl k1) more)
+      [k1] (. tbl k1)
+      x tbl)))
+
+(let [v (ref {:a 1} [:a])] (assert (= v 1) v))
+(let [v (ref {:a {:c 7}} [:a :c])] (assert (= v 7) v))
+(let [v (ref {:a {:c 7}} [:a ])] (assert (match v {:c 7} true) (view v)))
+(let [v (ref {:a {:c 7}} [:z :d])] (assert (not v) v))
+
+
 (fn recogniser [source-keymap]
   (let [keymap (compile-keymap source-keymap)]
-    (var m keymap)
+    (var key-sequence [])
     {
      :accept-event
      (fn [_ e]
        (when (not (modifier? e.keyval))
          (let [c (event->index e)]
-           (match (. m c)
+           (table.insert key-sequence c)
+           (match (ref keymap key-sequence)
              (where v (keymap? v))
-             (do
-               (set m v)
-               (values nil (.. c " ")))
+             (values nil
+                     (let [syms (lume.map key-sequence index->string)]
+                       (table.concat syms " ")))
 
              (where v (command? v))
              (do
-               (set m keymap)
+               (set key-sequence [])
                v)
 
              (where nil (= c "103:4"))
              (do
-               (set m keymap)
+               (set key-sequence [])
                (values nil "cancelled"))
              _
-             (do
-               (set m keymap)
-               (values nil (.. "No binding for " (index->string c) " ")))))))
+             (let [syms (lume.map key-sequence index->string)]
+               (set key-sequence [])
+               (values nil (.. "No binding for " (table.concat syms " "))))))))
      }))
 
 
diff --git a/musing.md b/musing.md
index 9355813..46b7e35 100644
--- a/musing.md
+++ b/musing.md
@@ -79,16 +79,26 @@ focus from entry to step through the completions then RET activates
 * [done] show loading progress
 * [done] show url when the commander is inactive
 * [done] visit-location url defaults to current
+* [done] ESC to cancel interactive command
+* [done] C-g to cancel key sequence
 
 * custom rendering for completions (e.g. buffer thumbnails)
-* buffer name is often going to be useless. find buffers
- by url/title
+* less ugly default completions rendering
+* buffer name is often going to be useless. find buffers by url/title
    still need some 1:1 mapping between the buffer object and
    a text-representable form of same
 * click in commander widget activates visit-location
+* in general, can we bind commands to widget events?
 * display unbound key error
-* ESC to cancel interactive command
 * autocomplete command name
-* multiple buffers
-  - create buffer
-  - list buffers (do we need this if we have thumbnails?)
+* command to create new buffer
+* keyboard navigation of completions
+
+----
+
+I think we're misusing the commander to show url and error messages
+and key prompts. It's OK to have that part of the screen be multipurpose
+but philosophically those things are not related to the command system.
+
+- hide commander when inactive and replace it with echo area
+- move it to bottom?