       balancers: 0
       cache: {}
       length: 0
-      loaded: false
       locks: [[]]
       offset: 0
       positions: []

    if fs.readdir(@directory, _).filter((f) -> not /^\./.test(f)).length
      throw new Error "database #{@directory} is not empty."
    # Create a root branch with a single empty leaf.
    root = @encache @createBranch @nextAddress++, penultimate: true, loaded: true
    leaf = @encache @createLeaf -(@nextAddress++), loaded: true
    @splice root, 0, 0, leaf.address
    # Write the root branch.
    @rewriteBranches root, "replace", _
    @rewriteLeaf leaf, "replace", _
    @replace leaf, "replace", _
    @replace root, "replace", _

    fs.close fd, _

    # Return the loaded page.
    page

  # Each line is terminated by a newline. In case your concerned that this
  # simple search will mistake a byte inside a multi-byte character for a
