Howard sees what's the statue's shifting into, but it's too late to do anything, so he just covers his mouth and steps back. For a moment he considers grabbing Orc's arm and trying to hold him back, except for three things: who cares it's just a statue, it's not like he can physically restrain Orc anyway, and he doesn't want to get hit again.

Orc's fist connects with the statue, but since the statue is a sort of liquid form the punch passes through. The statue loses its form the more it's pummeled, reverting to a sphere of suspended substance, responding in no other way to Orc's attacks.

Howard waits quietly until Orc's done beating up the statue, face curled up into a fearful look of anguish.