What? I thought. To recover?
But now Grendel had retrieved his pickaxe and was winding up for his next blow. I dropped the spade and put my hand to my ears just in time. Even so, that shriek was still very loud and still very disturbing.
It took me a few seconds to recover. I was about to move, to begin my own business, but froze as he drew back for another blow, covering my ears. I wondered how I was to contribute at all with this regular assault on my senses. For the moment, I decided just to watch, to wait until some opportunity presented itself. But it went on and on, a kind of pseudo-nightmare of nearly continuous noise as the series of blows against the barrier increased in pace.
And I saw at last how hard Grendel could work. Like a demon, really, and the sweat fairly poured off h
