"An anomaly is everything that is different from what would normally be expected to happen," Atlan explained patiently. "In this case, patterns are too even. The population has remained near constant for decades. The weather has not shown any unusual peaks in at least the same time. All winters are cold, with a good amount of snow. All summers are hot and dry, with the occasional heat storm. There has not been a rainy summer or a winter too warm for anything but slush in a long time, when everywhere else, it has."

He emphasized the last with a gesture.

"That, my dear, I call an anomaly."