diff --git a/lib/register/instruction.rb b/lib/register/instruction.rb
index 857c2854..9e33823f 100644
--- a/lib/register/instruction.rb
+++ b/lib/register/instruction.rb
@@ -119,6 +119,8 @@ end
 
 require_relative "instructions/set_slot"
 require_relative "instructions/get_slot"
+require_relative "instructions/set_byte"
+require_relative "instructions/get_byte"
 require_relative "instructions/load_constant"
 require_relative "instructions/syscall"
 require_relative "instructions/function_call"
diff --git a/lib/register/parfait/word.rb b/lib/register/parfait/word.rb
index 6fe940b0..b1d99015 100644
--- a/lib/register/parfait/word.rb
+++ b/lib/register/parfait/word.rb
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ module Parfait
       2 # 2 is the amount of attributes, layout and char_length. the offset after which chars start
     end
     def self.get_indexed i
-      i + get_length_index
+      i + get_length_index * 4
     end
     # initialize with length. For now we try to keep all non-parfait (including String) out
     # String will contain spaces for non-zero length
@@ -89,7 +89,11 @@ module Parfait
     def set_char at , char
       raise "char not fixnum #{char.class}" unless char.kind_of? Fixnum
       index = range_correct_index(at)
-      word_index = (index - 1) / 4 + 1 + Word.get_length_index
+      set_internal_byte( index , char)
+    end
+
+    def set_internal_byte index , char
+      word_index = (index - 1) / 4 + 1
       rest = ((index - 1) % 4)
       shifted =  char << (rest * 8)
       was = get_internal_word( word_index )
@@ -112,7 +116,12 @@ module Parfait
     #the return "character" is an integer
     def get_char at
       index = range_correct_index(at)
-      word_index = (index - 1 ) / 4 + 1 + Word.get_length_index
+      get_internal_byte(index)
+    end
+
+
+    def get_internal_byte( index )
+      word_index = (index - 1 ) / 4 + 1
       rest = ((index - 1) % 4)
       char = get_internal_word(word_index)
       char = 0 unless char.is_a?(Numeric)
@@ -130,7 +139,7 @@ module Parfait
       index = self.length + at if at < 0
       raise "index must be positive , not #{at}" if (index <= 0)
       raise "index too large #{at} > #{self.length}" if (index > self.length )
-      return index
+      return index + Word.get_length_index * 4
     end
 
     # compare the word to another
@@ -182,7 +191,7 @@ module Parfait
     end
   end
 
-  # Word from string 
+  # Word from string
   def self.new_word( string )
     string = string.to_s if string.is_a? Symbol
     word = Parfait::Word.new( string.length )
diff --git a/lib/soml/parfait/word.soml b/lib/soml/parfait/word.soml
index f1356737..bec7d586 100644
--- a/lib/soml/parfait/word.soml
+++ b/lib/soml/parfait/word.soml
@@ -1,16 +1,12 @@
 class Word < Object
 
+  int correct_index(int index)
+    return index + 8
+  end
+
   int char_at(int index)
-    int word_index = index - 1
-    word_index = word_index >> 2
-    word_index = word_index + 3
-    int rest = index - 1
-    rest = rest.mod4()
-    int char = get_internal_word(word_index)
-    int shifted = 8 * rest
-    shifted = char >> shifted
-    int ret = shifted & 255
-    return ret
+    index = correct_index(index)
+    return get_internal_byte(index)
   end
 
   int set_length(int i)
@@ -18,37 +14,16 @@ class Word < Object
     return i
   end
 
+  int set_char_at( int index , int val)
+    index = correct_index(index)
+    return set_internal_byte(index , val)
+  end
+
   Word push_char(int char)
     int index = self.char_length + 1
     self.set_length(index)
 
-    int word_index = index - 1
-    word_index = word_index >> 2
-    word_index = word_index + 3
-
-    int rest = index - 1
-    rest = rest.mod4()
-
-    int shifted =  rest * 8
-    shifted =  char << shifted
-
-    int was = get_internal_word( word_index )
-    int mask = rest * 8
-    int const = 255 << 8
-    const = const + 255
-    const = const << 8
-    const = const + 255
-    const = const << 8
-    const = const + 255
-
-    mask = 255 << mask
-    mask = const - mask
-
-    int masked = was & mask
-    int put = masked + shifted
-
-    set_internal_word( word_index , put )
-
+    set_char_at(index , char)
     return self
   end
 end