Author Salman Rushdie remained in critical condition on Sunday morning, his son said, though he was able to speak a few words and joke with his family. “Though his life changing injuries are severe, his usual feisty & defiant sense of humour remains intact,” Zafar Rushdie said in a statement. “We are so grateful to all the audience members who bravely leapt to his defense and administered first aid along with the police and doctors who have cared for him and for the outpouring of love and support from around the world.” Rushdie’s alleged attacker, 24-year-old Hadi Matar, pleaded not guilty Saturday to stabbing Rushdie as the author was about to give a talk to the Chautauqua Institution in western New York on Friday.