He looked like a person. At the time, we had suspicions that something was wrong, but we did not know exactly what it was. Our discoveries that most of the people int he city might not be actual people came later.

We just had a conversation as people might have. It was a difficult one because he was a prisoner likely to be executed and he had no particular incentive to be forthcoming.

I myself do not possess any ability to converse with spirits, but a few people here are capable of it.