Summary:The Alloy of Law
The Alloy of Law follows the story of Waxillium Ladrian and Wayne doing stuff that's awesome all over everywhere.
Prologue
Waxillium Ladrian, a talented Coinshot as previously unseen uses for the Allomantic metal are displayed by Wax when he creates a "Steel Bubble" around himself, finds himself in a gun-fight out in the Roughs - the territory surrounding modern civilisation as a barren outland where thugs and criminals liberate the law - and meets up with Lessie. They, and the rest of Wax's crew, are hunting Bloody Tan for the bounty on his head.
It is discovered later that Wax is actually a Twinborn - a Feruchemist as well as an Allomancer - and can also decrease his weight by storing it in his iron metalmind. Eventually, Wax finds Bloody Tan's hideout and finds that Lessie has been captured by Tan. Unprovoked by Tan using her against him as a hostage, Wax fires his Sterrion revolver at Tan who yanks Lessie into the path of the bullet. Lessie is killed instantly and Wax, horrified, shoots Tan in the head.
Chapter 1
Five months later. Wax is in attendance at a party back in Elendel, where he is known as "Lord Waxillium" or "Lord Ladrian," but is adamant in avoiding conversation.
He makes his way to the balcony to be alone. The death of Lessie still haunts him. Wax has returned to Elendel in the wake of his uncle's death to do his duty to his house. Lady Cett appears on the balcony, urging Wax to rejoin the party.
Instead of returning to the party, Wax slips off the balcony and drops a bullet casing to Push himself over the garden wall. Spending his time bounding across rooftops and soaring through the air, Wax eventually comes across a bunch of criminals in an alleyway with constables blockading the entrance. Intending to deal with them he drops in their midst but hesitates as he hears a woman whimpering.
Wax narrowly avoids taking a bullet thanks to his steel bubble, barely missing his ribs. Still unable to shoot, Wax points his gun at the floor, fires, and uses the bullet to Push himself out of the alleyway. Watching from afar as the constables swarm the alleyway he realises the whimpering woman was actually a thug that had taken a bullet before his arrival.
Ashamed, he returns to Ladrian Mansion where he renounces his guns to Tillaume - Wax's butler - asking that they be stored in a safe place, and devotes himself to becoming Lord Waxillium Ladrian in the public eye.
Chapter 2
Six months later.
Wax has an appointment with a one, Lord Harms, as suddenly the door chime sounds. A conversation with his house steward, Miss Grimes reveals Wax's appointment with Lord Harms is to settle a marriage agreement between himself and Harms' daughter, Steris. In his hesitation to appear eager Wax enquires into house matters where Miss Grimes informs him their second shipment of steel was stolen. House Tekiel is also having similar problems, losing five shipments.
Wax gets the urge to investigate an infamous gang of thieves known as the Vanishers but convinces himself that part of his life is over now. Making his way to the sitting room expecting to find Lord Harms and his daughter he instead encounters an old friend and partner. Wayne has the unusual habit of "trading" items in others possession with his own as he slips Wax's mantle clock into a pocket and produces a bottle of fine whiskey in its place, noting its roughly equal value.
As they discuss where Wayne should be - in Weathering, not Wax's sitting room - the door chimes again and Wax attempts to usher Wayne from the room; Wayne in his Roughs attire would give the wrong impression. Unable to get him from the room when Lord Harms barges in, Wax prepares to introduce Wayne as an old friend when Wayne, having put on a disguise, proclaims to be Wax's uncle.
Lord Harms introduces his daughter and she in turn her cousin, Marasi. While Wayne and Lord Harms exchange small-talk, Steris aims to get to the point of the meeting. Their arrangement, she describes, is to benefit both their houses - Wax who's is failing financially and Steris' could benefit from the influence of House Ladrian.
During the meeting, Wayne erects a speed bubble and hands Wax a bullet that Wax later discovers is made from aluminium. Once Lord Harms leaves, Wayne tells Wax of the Coolerim Playhouse robbery where one of the thieves dropped that bullet. Before leaving, Wayne tries to convince Wax of what he truly wants.
Chapter 3
Eight hours later. Waxillium attempts to distract himself with reading and ends up investigating the history of the Vanishers in old broadsheets. He begins to wonder about their methods when Tillaume enters the study with tea. Wax begins sketching out the events to help him think while Tillaume cleans the room.
Tillaume informs Wax he has duties to his house, disproving of Wax getting involved with the robberies. Needing answers he prays to Harmony in the Pathian way and comes to realise that Tillaume was right, that many people relied on him to be an effective lord.
After a while meditating, thoughts straying back to Lessie, Wax seats himself at his desk to work on house ledgers.
Chapter 4
Wax escorts Steris to the Yomen-Ostlin wedding reception. They talk of the politics behind those in attendance and Wax's unorthodox reactions cause Steris to question his lack of decorum.
Their table is already occupied by Lord Harms and Marasi when they seat themselves. Wax enquires about Marasi's education and Wayne turns up, disguised as a waiter.
Wayne attempts to communicate secretly with Wax as Wax attempts, and succeeds, in shocking Steris with old tales of his time in the Roughs. When Wax and Marasi find themselves alone at the table, Wayne returns and sits down at the table after Marasi recognizes him. After a round of banter the talk turns to the investigation Wayne has conducted shortly before the doors at both ends of the ballroom are flung open.
Chapter 5
Wax estimates the Vanishers to be two dozen, perhaps three. Marasi makes notes of their physical descriptions while Wax attempts to mollify Wayne; he wants to fight the bandits while Wax is worried for the safety of everyone in the room and doesn't want to cause a bloodbath.
The bandits move through the crowd demanding people relinquish their jewellery. When one reaches Wax's table he hides Marasi's notebook and Wayne's duelling canes against the table with a gentle Push to hold them.
The apparent leader searches, looking at the drawings in his hand and at the people at each table, confirming Wax and Wayne's suspicion about the kidnappings - the theft is a rouse to allay suspicion.
Steris is the first hostage to be picked "at random." When the bandit leader declares they're taking two hostages Marasi is also chosen. Wax is contended between his honor and the lives of the people. Wayne attempts to fight only to have Wax try to talk him out of it again until Lord Peterus, having recovered from being knocked down earlier for his outburst, calls the bandit leader a coward, prompting the man to shoot Lord Peterus.
The bandit leader allows his minions to have fun, Wayne erects a speed bubble and Wax finally gives in to his inner instincts.
Chapter 6
As soon as the speed bubble drops, Wax kills two of the bandits, his gunshots setting off the group behind him while that in front, having seen Wax, take cover. Wax shows off more of his fanciful expertise with his powers and comes to a startling realization on the identity of the Vanishers leader.
Wax manages to rescue Marasi from Tarson - the bandit that took her - since Marasi made herself limp, knowing they needed her alive and couldn't kill her for being awkward. Tarson holds Marasi hostage similar to how Bloody Tan held Lessie that makes Wax freeze again. Only thanks to Marasi stunning Tarson was he able to bring his gun up, wounding the thug in the arm.
Wax and Wayne with a little help from Marasi wielding a rifle dispatch with the majority of the bandits only to allow the leader to escape with Steris right before the constabulary shows up. Constable Brettin berates Wax for causing havoc and Reddi gives him the casualty report which indicates that only Lord Peterus was amongst the civilian deaths.
Brettin is still displeased with Wax's stunt which draws the two into a quiet arguement. Wayne steals one of the aluminium guns the bandits were using from the evidence pile that he gives to Wax.
Chapter 7
Marasi decides to visit Wax at his mansion where he is engaged with metallurgy, trying to discover the exact alloy used in the aluminium gun. Marasi informs Wax that Lord Harms is willing to bankroll Wax in his endeavour to rescue Steris.
The two of them attempt to reason the motives of the Vanishers and their operation and come to an astonishing conclusion. Meanwhile, Wax has Wayne on a mischievousness errand.
Chapter 8
Wayne strides into the Fourth Octant constabulary offices disguised as a Seventh Octant Captain, seeking Captain Brettin. Wayne - Captain Guffon Trenchant - interviews some of the Vanishers.
With Brettin overseeing the interviews from the door, Wayne alternates between playing a constable and whispering in street accents hoping to convince the detainees to give up the information he seeks on the Vanishers.
Wayne manages to convince the information out of the two he interrogates and leaves with Brettin none the wiser.
Chapter 9
Waxillium and Marasi are debating philosophy and Wax's past is brought up again, as well as Marasi's education.
Wayne returns with the information he gained from the constabulary. Tillaume makes tea for Wax which Wayne procures for himself. Wax accidentally insults Marasi and Wayne discovers the tea has been poisoned.
Tillaume attempts to assassinate Wax with a gun who injures the butler instead. Concern for Wayne causes Wax to miss Tillaume triggering the bomb in the basket he'd brought with him. Wayne, having recovered a little thanks to his Feruchemical ability throws up a speed bubble just as the basket explodes.
Wax draws on his own Feruchemic ability to fall through the floor to the room below. Wayne follows and is badly burnt on the back from the explosion. Presumed dead, they use the cover as an opportunity to go after the Vanishers.
Chapter 10
Wax, Wayne, and Marasi sneak out of Ladrian Mansion and take a carriage to the Fifth Octant where they'd discovered the Vanishers' hideout near a canal dock. Wax searches the building for traps before waving Marasi over.
They discover more clues to the Vanishers' operation and Marasi uncovers more of the duo's past when Wayne decides to play a cruel prank on Marasi and the two of them find an expensive cigar box left behind.
Wax returns after gleaning information from the local beggars. Wayne hands him the cigar box to which Wax responds by asking Marasi if she's heard of the name Miles Dagouter.
Chapter 11
Miles talks to Tarson and Clamps, then chats with Mister Suit. Wax, Wayne and Marasi discuss Miles.
Chapter 12
Wayne exchanges hats with someone. They check out the latest crime scene. Miles attacks.
Chapter 13
Wax and Miles fight atop the train. Wax throws Miles off the top of the train. Marasi fixes up Wax's injuries
Chapter 14
Wax, Wayne and Marasi visit Ranette the gunsmith. They get some guns.
“Wasing the where of needing”
—the High Imperial message on the aluminum pistol
Chapter 15
Miles and Suit chat again. Wax plans his attack and flirts with Marasi.
Chapter 16
Wayne smuggles Wax onto the Breaknaught.
Chapter 17
Wayne and Marasi wait for the Vanishers to attack the Breaknaught, and follow. Wax blows up the Breaknaught.
Chapter 18
Wax, Wayne and Marasi kill the Vanishers. Miles blows himself up. Wax chats with Harmony. Miles threatens Marasi, and Wax emerges from some mist, looking awesome.
Chapter 19
Wax goes after the escaping Vanishers, and destroys them, rescuing Nouxil the gunsmith and Steris. Wax pulverises the building, and lets Steris escape. Wax rescues Marasi from Tarson with some stupidly awesome time-bubble-shooteyoutery and shoots Miles a few times. Wayne makes an escape while Wax and Marasi trap Miles in a cadmium bubble until the cops arrive.
Chapter 20
Brettin is calm about the citizen crime fighting squad. Weird.
Epilogue
Marasi watches Miles' execution. Wax sees his dead uncle, Mister Suit, aka Lord Edwarn Ladrian but Edwarn doesn't reveal his plans or the locations of the other kidnapped women. Marasi gets a book for Wax off Ironeyes.