I really hate "lastnode=" in monastery URLs -- it messes up history and link coloration.
If I remember correctly, it's possible to include query parameters in the body of the request, a la POST, even if there are also parameters in the URL itself. Therefore, a query could look like this:
GET /index.pl?node=1234
Content-Type: text/plain
[...etc...]
lastnode=5678
This preserves lastnode as a parameter without polluting the URL.
What say you give it a try? Tim? Please??
-- Chip Salzenberg, Free-Floating Agent of Chaos