if (waiters == 0) {
      // unlink guard from activeGuards
      for (Guard p = activeGuards, pred = null; ; pred = p, p = p.next) {
        if (p == guard) {
          if (pred == null) {
            activeGuards = p.next;
          } else {
            pred.next = p.next;
          }
          p.next = null; // help GC
          break;
        }
      }
    }
  }