diff -r 01468da33a6e sys/src/cmd/rc/exec.c
--- a/sys/src/cmd/rc/exec.c	Wed Oct 31 19:48:16 2018 +0100
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/rc/exec.c	Sun Nov 11 17:19:56 2018 +1030
@@ -699,16 +699,30 @@
 void
 Xqdol(void)
 {
-	char *s;
-	word *a;
+	char *s, *t;
+	word *a, *star;
+	int n;
 	if(count(runq->argv->words)!=1){
 		Xerror1("variable name not singleton!");
 		return;
 	}
 	s = Str(runq->argv->words);
-	a = vlook(s)->val;
-	poplist();
-	Pushword(list2str(a));
+	n = 0;
+	for(t = s;'0'<=*t && *t<='9';t++) n = n*10+*t-'0';
+	a = runq->argv->next->words;
+	if(n==0 || *t){
+		a = vlook(s)->val;
+		poplist();
+		Pushword(list2str(a));
+	}else{
+		star = vlook("*")->val;
+		if(star && 1<=n && n<=count(star)){
+			while(--n) star = star->next;
+			a = newword(star->word, a);
+		}
+		poplist();
+		runq->argv->words = a;
+	}
 }
 
 word*