- The next chapter opens with what might be a part of the Shaper's song.
- The song's about the death of Halga, Hrothgar's younger brother, and the coming of his orphaned son Hrothulf to Hrothgar's house.
- Can you guess what happens next?
- Grendel starts "scripting" the dramatic adaptation of real events again. We can see there are tensions in the meadhall with the addition of teenager Hrothulf.
- Sure, Hrothulf is a sulky teenager. But he's a royal sulky teenager, who, until recently, would have had a throne of his own.
- The Shaper tries to convince Hrothulf that he's a lucky guy—and that he can be successful as the lesser relative of the king.
- But Grendel sees otherwise. Hrothulf sits on the bench between his little cousins and sharpens his knife.
- Things still go well in Hrothgar's land, more or less. Grendel tells us all about it.
- Hrothulf gets all poetic and has a soliloquy under some trees. He says that Hrothgar's protection of him is like the "sheltering tree" that kills everything in its shade.
- Hrothulf thinks about taking what he needs to thrive as a man of royal blood.
- Hrothulf knows that Wealtheow has been kind in the hopes that he won't murder her children in his quest for the throne, but he also knows that love will only get you so far.
- Now we get a description of Wealtheow by Hrothulf's bedside. Grendel imagines that Wealtheow tells it straight up: you see those two little cousins? They're going to take every last thing when they grow up.
- Wealtheow even knows that Hrothulf's love for his kin will cool a whole lot when the younger boys rule.
- Okay, maybe Grendel is being dramatic (kind of literally here), but he really does see Hrothulf's discontent. And he really likes to watch chaos brewing.
- Red Horse comes into the picture. He's a character Machiavelli would have been proud of: basically, he's teaching Hrothulf how to be ruthless.
- Red Horse really stinks—literally and figuratively. He encourages the idea of revolution, saying that the destruction of an institution (like kingship) is an act of creation.
- Now, Hrothulf isn't much more than a klutzy teenager. He may be angry, but he really can't grasp what Red Horse is saying. He just agrees with him and repeats phrases back.
- Red Horse is kind of a mysterious character: he says stuff that a medieval peasant wouldn't know anything about, stuff about how "the state" is an "organization of legitimate violence." He's an anarchist who believes that all forms of government are evil (except his own versions, of course).
- Hrothulf isn't ready to leap into regicide, but Red Horse offers his services—just in case there's a revolution.
- Still, Hrothulf is kind to his cousins, especially to sweet Freawaru, Hrothgar's daughter from an earlier relationship.
- Hrothgar knows what will happen—Hrothulf won't be contained for long.
- Hrothgar isn't a strong man anymore, but his mind is still sharp enough that he can pick up on a bad situation. He knows his social ties will be his undoing.
- That massive treasure hoard isn't helping, either. Once thieves figure out that you've got a load of gold and you're a weak old man (and you've got a monster eating up all your young, strong men), then you won't be able to stop them.
- To top it all off, Hrothgar also feels terribly guilty about Wealtheow. She didn't need to waste herself on an old, bony king like him.
- Wealtheow also knows that Hrothgar can't protect her and the boys. His attempts at peacemaking will fail.
- So, all in all, the situation is pretty bleak. How do you think that makes Grendel feel?
- Well, not exactly the way you might think: Grendel wonders how he can bother such a miserable old wretch like Hrothgar.
- Still, Grendel figures that since he made Hrothgar the man he is, he has the right to test him.
- Grendel feels that something—anything—must happen. All his rage and hatred can't go to waste.
- Grendel shares a dream that he's thought up: it's sort of a riff on that time when Hrothgar trapped him in a tree.
- Grendel still sees the ax flashing through the air and burying itself deep inside him.
- Yeah, there's not going to be any forgiving and forgetting anytime soon.