docs: function clear(instance) {
  		var result = false
  
  		// find the request
  		var request
  		if (instance && instance.id) {
  			if (request = requests[instance.id]) {
  				if (request.timer !== true) { // ok: within the timeout period
  					clearTimeout(request.timer)
  					request.timer = null
  					delete requests[instance.id]
  				} else { // it had already timed out
  					result = Date.now() - request.created
  					makeError('After ' + (result / 1e3) + ' s,' +
  						' the timed out request completed: ' + requestString(request))
  				}
  			} else makeError('Instance not found: ' + haraldutil.inspectDeep(instance))
  		} else {
  			makeError('Corrupt instance provided: ' + haraldutil.inspectDeep(instance))
  		}
  
  		return result
  	}