04-26-2019, 01:26 AM
Near was one of the most intelligent men on the planet. Somewhere in his life, he had correctly determined that the superior self-serving strategy was to assassinate any curiosity before it became significant. The strategy had functioning maxims: Turn around, don't look back. Don't ask questions. Blink twice, shake your head, and ignore it. Forget about it. Close the door and lock it behind you. He was the anti-thesis of his father. Had the family come to him, begging for change, he would have likely shooed them away, wishing them good luck with their fairy tales.
Without being able to put it into words, Jude understood this. He grasped that Near was, in a way, too clever to get himself mixed up in this mess. Jude envied him, but could not blame him.
"Then don't!" The return shout came belatedly, after Jude considered a longer answer for a handful of seconds, then gave up. To Jude, the idea of 'locked' was thoroughly abstract. It had been demonstrated to him on several occasions: a member of the family had attempted to open a door, or a box, or a lock; they then handed Jude the object or led him to the door, and let him touch it. Not everything opens for everyone, Jude. How inconvenient.
Without being able to put it into words, Jude understood this. He grasped that Near was, in a way, too clever to get himself mixed up in this mess. Jude envied him, but could not blame him.
"Then don't!" The return shout came belatedly, after Jude considered a longer answer for a handful of seconds, then gave up. To Jude, the idea of 'locked' was thoroughly abstract. It had been demonstrated to him on several occasions: a member of the family had attempted to open a door, or a box, or a lock; they then handed Jude the object or led him to the door, and let him touch it. Not everything opens for everyone, Jude. How inconvenient.