Index: /trunk/Ohana/src/libfits/table/F_table_varlength.c
===================================================================
--- /trunk/Ohana/src/libfits/table/F_table_varlength.c	(revision 27472)
+++ /trunk/Ohana/src/libfits/table/F_table_varlength.c	(revision 27473)
@@ -101,10 +101,12 @@
     *length = ptr[0];
     offset = ptr[1];
-  }
-  if (column->mode == 'Q') {
+  } else if (column->mode == 'Q') {
     off_t *ptr;
     ptr = (off_t *) &ftable->buffer[row*Nx + column->Nstart];
     *length = ptr[0];
     offset = ptr[1];
+  } else {
+  	// this was actually trapped above
+  	abort();
   }