Ostby could hear a faint gurgle of water coming from the hole.
He rolled back the sleeve of his left arm and probed with his fingers until he found the spot he sought. "Cut here," he said.
Siggen shook his head disapprovingly but did as he was told. Blood crept out around the knife blade as it did its work. Ostby said nothing.
When Siggen had extracted the capsule, he handed it to Ostby.
Ostby knelt on one knee and broke the capsule, holding it carefully over the hole in the street. He counted the drops that fell.
"Six," he said. "And one more." He shook the broken halves, and dropped them into the water flowing beneath the hole. "That should do it," he commented, with satisfaction. "One drop will effectively impregnate two hundred fifty thousand gallons of water."
"I wish I knew what you were trying to do," Siggen said, "but I suppose that you'll tell me in your own good time. Do I send my men in yet?"
"Yes, we'd better start. They know that they're to take over the entire first floor and to hold it against all comers?"
Siggen nodded and lifted his hand in a prearranged signal. The shadows about the buildings gave up their skulkers, and figures slipped out from every doorway and hiding place and entered the palace.