He shakes his head, again slowly and deliberately, but that's the extent of speechlessness he is going to tolerate for now. He shifts, disappearing in a Stone-sized cloud of dark mist, which then condenses down into the more familiar gray-skinned old man. "I can communicate some in that form, but not in ways you'll recognize." He holds a hand behind his head, tilting it up and down. "The position of the spines says a lot."