doomed ! If it is hungry enough , it can dissolve many of the materials that keep the vehicle aloft !"
He motioned forward toward the open-air deck with his rifle . I immediately rose to my feet and we rushed out into the noon-day sky . Pirates were leaping onto the deck , exchanging blows with the automaton crewmembers . The pirates ' airships were tethered by grappling hooks immediately off our starboard side , their balloons and sails much patched and worn . Apparently the pirates had come in numerous dirigibles , attacking from as many sides as possible . The ships had an altogether disreputable appearance , as did their crew . We should have been able to beat them off quite handily ... if so many of our automatons had not been previously damaged or destroyed .
One pirate slipped on the goo of the blob , and the monster seized onto his arm . The pirate pulled most violently away , pulling the blob across a rope which was holding a lifeboat safe . The moment the blob touched the rope , it snapped , dropping
the boat from one side and knocking the sailor overboard . The lifeboat swung in the wind while dangling by one cord . I was most troubled by this event , for I couldn ' t help but think that if the lifeboat fell into the waves below , it would not be available for our escape — should such an escape be required . But it held fast by that one rope .
The blob began wandering around towards a duct . It leaned against the wall , and part of the wood was devoured , while the metal of the duct corroded , but was left intact . The duct seemed to swallow the goo of the monster and the blob slipped down the grate !
I was distracted and the pirates overcame us . Cyprien could not fight them off alone ! Rather than murdering us outright , the pirates first disconnected the automatons , then locked all of the tour within the only room on board the ship for which the pirates had no use : the library .
" There are pirates about ," Percy stated , obviously , greeting our arrival . " I have seen them !"