“Why does the ox have a tail?” he asks. The room falls silent, intrigued by the posing of such a stupid question. “What kind of holy book is it that puts such questions to its readers?” Krysa goes on with that finger, which slowly turns toward the rabbis. “The Talmud!” he exclaims after a moment. The room bursts out laughing. The sound rises to the ceiling of the courtroom, a space unaccustomed to such merry outbursts. “And what might the Talmudic answer be?” asks Krysa, whose scarred face has flushed. After a pause, he answers his own question triumphantly: “Because it has to chase away the
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