Tweaks

src/protocol.md

@@ -6,10 +6,9 @@ actors](./glossary.md#relay).[^analogy-to-subnets] Relays allow *indirect* commu
 distant entities can be addressed as if they were local.
 
 Relays exchange *Syndicate Protocol* messages across a [transport](./glossary.md#transport). A
-*transport* is the underlying medium connecting one relay to its counterparts on a given
-network. For example, a TLS-on-TCP/IP socket may connect a pair of relays to one another, or a
-UDP multicast socket may connect an entire group of relays across an
-ethernet.[^relaying-over-syndicate]
+*transport* is the underlying medium connecting one relay to its counterpart(s). For example, a
+TLS-on-TCP/IP socket may connect a pair of relays to one another, or a UDP multicast socket may
+connect an entire group of relays across an ethernet.[^relaying-over-syndicate]
 
 <!--
 
@@ -115,11 +114,14 @@ A `Turn` is the most important packet variant. It directly reflects the
 
 **Handling.** Each `Turn` carries [events](./glossary.md#event) to be delivered to
 [entities](./glossary.md#entity) residing in the scope at the receiving end of the transport.
+Each event is either publication of an assertion, retraction of a previously-published
+assertion, delivery of a single message, or a [synchronization](./glossary.md#synchronization)
+event.
 
 Upon receipt of a `Turn`, the sequence of `TurnEvent`s is examined. The
-[OID](./glossary.md#oid) in each `TurnEvent` selects an entity known to the recipient. Each
-`Event` is either publication of an assertion, retraction of a previously-published assertion,
-delivery of a single message, or a [synchronization](./glossary.md#synchronization) event.
+[OID](./glossary.md#oid) in each `TurnEvent` selects an entity known to the recipient. If a
+particular `TurnEvent`'s OID is not mapped to an entity, the `TurnEvent` is silently ignored,
+and the remaining `TurnEvent`s in the `Turn` are processed.
 
 The `assertion` fields of `Assert` events and the `body` fields of `Message` events may contain
 any Preserves value, including embedded entity references. On the wire, these will always be
@@ -469,7 +471,7 @@ For example, at least the following contribute to a `WireSymbol`'s reference cou
  - The initial entry mapping a local entity ref to an well-known OID for use at session startup
    ([see below](#well-known-oids)) contributes a permanent reference.
 
- - Mention of an OID in a received *or sent* `TurnEvent` adds one to the OID's reference count
+ - Mention of an OID in a received or sent `TurnEvent` adds one to the OID's reference count
    for the duration of processing of the event. For `Assert` events in either direction, the
    duration of processing is until the assertion is later retracted. For received `Message`
    events, the duration of processing is until the incoming message has been forwarded on to
@@ -497,7 +499,7 @@ The value is recursively traversed. As the relay comes across each embedded `Wir
    OID is looked up in the import membrane.
 
     - If no `WireSymbol` exists in the import membrane, one is created, mapping the OID to a
-      fresh [relay entity](#relay-entities).
+      fresh [relay entity](#relay-entities) for the OID.
 
     - If a `WireSymbol` is already present, its associated ref is substituted into *v*.
 
@@ -505,11 +507,12 @@ The value is recursively traversed. As the relay comes across each embedded `Wir
    receiving peer. Its OID is looked up in the export membrane.
 
     - If no `WireSymbol` exists for the OID, one is created, associating the OID with a dummy
-      inert entity ref. The dummy ref is substituted into *v*.
+      inert entity ref. The dummy ref is substituted into *v*. It will later be released once
+      the reference count of the `WireSymbol` drops to zero.
 
     - If a `WireSymbol` exists for the OID, and the `WireRef` is not
       [attenuated](#attenuation-of-authority), the associated ref is substituted into *v*. If
-      the `WireRef` *is* attenuated, the associated ref is wrapped with the `Caveat`s from the
+      the `WireRef` is attenuated, the associated ref is wrapped with the `Caveat`s from the
       `WireRef` before its substitution into *v*.
 
   - In each case, the `WireSymbol` associated with the OID has its reference count incremented
@@ -529,9 +532,9 @@ The value is recursively traversed. As the relay comes across each embedded refe
 
  - Otherwise, it is looked up in the import membrane. If *no* associated `WireSymbol` exists
    there, a fresh OID and `WireSymbol` are placed in the export membrane, and the new OID is
-   substituted as a `mine`-variant `WireRef` into *v*.
-
- - Otherwise, it refers to a previously-imported entity.
+   substituted as a `mine`-variant `WireRef` into *v*. If a `WireSymbol` exists in the import
+   membrane, however, the embedded reference must be a local [relay entity](#relay-entities)
+   referencing a previously-imported remote entity:
 
    - If the local entity reference has not been attenuated subsequent to its import, the OID it
      was imported under is substituted as a `yours`-variant `WireRef` into *v* with an empty
@@ -541,8 +544,8 @@ The value is recursively traversed. As the relay comes across each embedded refe
      enforce an attenuation request](#attenuation-of-authority). If it trusts the peer to
      honour attenuation requests, it substitutes a `yours`-variant `WireRef` with non-empty
      attenuation into *v*. Otherwise, a fresh OID and `WireSymbol` are placed in the export
-     membrane, with ref denoting to the attenuated local reference, and the new OID is
-     substituted as a `mine`-variant `WireRef` into *v*.
+     membrane, with ref denoting the attenuated local reference, and the new OID is substituted
+     as a `mine`-variant `WireRef` into *v*.
 
 ## Relay entities
 
@@ -685,12 +688,12 @@ To use such a transport for this protocol, establish a connection and begin tran
 [`Packet`s](#packet-definitions) encoded as Preserves values using either the Preserves [text
 syntax](https://preserves.gitlab.io/preserves/preserves.html#textual-syntax) or the Preserves
 [binary syntax](https://preserves.gitlab.io/preserves/preserves.html#compact-binary-syntax).
-The session starts with the first packet and ends with transport disconnection. It MUST
-disconnect the transport upon syntax error. A responding server MUST support the binary syntax,
-and MAY also support the text syntax. It can autodetect the syntax variant by following [the
-rules in the
+The session starts with the first packet and ends with transport disconnection. If either peer
+in a connection detects a syntax error, it MUST disconnect the transport. A responding server
+MUST support the binary syntax, and MAY also support the text syntax. It can autodetect the
+syntax variant by following [the rules in the
 specification](https://preserves.gitlab.io/preserves/preserves.html#appendix-autodetection-of-textual-or-binary-syntax):
-in short, the first byte of a valid binary-syntax Preserves document is guaranteed not to be
+the first byte of a valid binary-syntax Preserves document is guaranteed not to be
 interpretable as the start of a valid UTF-8 sequence.
 
 `Packet`s encoded in either binary or text syntax are self-delimiting. However, peers using