“Fear not, citizen,” declares Simon bar Kokhba when they bring the mutilated man before him. “Though your attackers have taken speech and writing from you, yea, they will be found–for you can still answer yes or no!”

The man nods weakly.

“First–were they Israelites?”

He shakes his head.

“Foreigners,” spits the prince. “Armed with knife or sword?”

The man hesitates.

“Oh, right. Nod once for a knife, twice for a sword.”

He nods twice.

“Cool,” says Simon bar Kokhba. “Wait. Was that just one nod with two motions?”

Longinus resigns himself to just growing his hands and tongue back.