Thomas, not Kira, recognizes that he, Kira, and Jo are all “artists.” This is an interesting detail—it suggests that simply knowing the
word “artist” makes it easier to identify artists. Kira hasn’t learned how to read, yet it’s she, not Thomas, who goes one step further and points out that all three of them have a special “knowledge.” This suggests that Kira is naturally cleverer than Thomas, even though Thomas is more educated.