with a burst of strength , he pulled nigel off his ass , and had to groan-which was what you did when you tried to lift a piano : the archangel was n't a fatty , but he offered worse than no help : his bones were snapping as his position was forcibly altered , the breaks like the cracks of twigs under feet while , against his chest , jim felt nigel jerk and gasp in pain ... but the hard-headed bastard did n't put up any kind of protest .