Jude wouldn't have been able to explain it if he tried. He'd been born six years old; the whole defiant/independent stage of the terrible twos never existed. Everything he'd ever needed or wanted in life had generally been handed to him, on the condition that he been well-mannered, obedient, and intuitive above what was expected of him. He responded to Near's superficial expectations - frustration, a desire for answers - while only abstractly knowing that something lay beyond that. Jude did not really understand the idea of "incomprehensible" - he just knew that it was one of many phrases that the Family employed when describing the reactions of ill-disposed people.
Said differently: it has never been Jude's job to think or speak for himself. He had learned to go through the motions, but this was his debut. He really was doing the best he could.
The phone was a pleasant change of subject. This was a pre-assembled track; Jude could attach himself to the general rules of conversation and ride along. "I didn't bring my phone." Juliet could find him without it, but he didn't want to make it easy for her. "Oh, and if anyone asks if you met me, you didn't." He nodded in emphasis. The Family might not even come here, with Courtland dead, but it was good to be sure.
Said differently: it has never been Jude's job to think or speak for himself. He had learned to go through the motions, but this was his debut. He really was doing the best he could.
The phone was a pleasant change of subject. This was a pre-assembled track; Jude could attach himself to the general rules of conversation and ride along. "I didn't bring my phone." Juliet could find him without it, but he didn't want to make it easy for her. "Oh, and if anyone asks if you met me, you didn't." He nodded in emphasis. The Family might not even come here, with Courtland dead, but it was good to be sure.