sub remove_card {
  # usage: $caller->remove_card()
  # removes top card of pile, returning its value

  my $self = shift;
  if($self->num() > 1) {
      # I've worked with many alterations of this, and this
      # seems (I repeat *seems*) to be what I want
    $self->cards( $self->cards()->[1..$self->num()-1] );
  } else { $self->cards([]) }
}

##</code><code>##

sub cards {
  # usage: $caller->cards([$cards])
  # $cards is an anonymous array of Card types
  # return: cards in pile

  my $self  = shift;
  if (@_) {
    $self->{cards} = shift;
    $self->num(int @{$self->{cards}});

    # From data dumping, it seems that I need this line
    for(@{$self->cards()}) { $_->where($self) }
  }
  return $self->{cards};
}

##</code><code>##

        $self->cards() returns
$VAR1 = [
          bless( {
                   'state' => 'down',
                   'where' => bless( {
                                       'next' => 0,
                                       'num' => 56,
                                       'max' => 52,
                                       'cards' => $VAR1
                                     }, 'Pile' ),
                   'value' => 1,
                   'suit' => 'h'
                 }, 'Card' ),
          ...
          bless( {
                   'state' => 'down',
                   'where' => $VAR1->[0]{'where'},
                   'value' => 'k',
                   'suit' => 'd'
                 }, 'Card' )
        ];

     @{$self->cards()}->[1..$self->num()-1] returns
$VAR1 = bless( {
                 'state' => 'down',
                 'where' => bless( {
                                     'next' => 0,
                                     'num' => 56,
                                     'max' => 52,
                                     'cards' => [
                                                  $VAR1,
                                                  bless( {
                                                           'state' => 'down',
                                                           'where' => $VAR1->{'where'},
                                                           'value' => 8,
                                                           'suit' => 'c'
                                                         }, 'Card' ),
...
                                                  bless( {
                                                           'state' => 'down',
                                                           'where' => $VAR1->{'where'},
                                                           'value' => 'k',
                                                           'suit' => 'd'
                                                         }, 'Card' )
                                                ]
                                   }, 'Pile' ),
                 'value' => 1,
                 'suit' => 'h'
               }, 'Card' );