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"Retire? Yeah, I want to die with my head in the typewriter. That's my idea of retirement."
- Alfred Bester

Peace Dove (Metal Bird)  
  Robotic winged guardians.  

The ironically-named Peace Doves keep the peace, all right.

She turned her head and looked at him calmly. On her wet, white shoulders were perched a pair of - birds? No. They were shaped like birds, like doves, but they were made of metal; their feathers were fine silver scales; their eyes were red-lit jewels. The metal things moved restlessly, as the little eyes poked hotly at Ryeland and Oporto. They cooed soft threats, and the rustle of their wings was like thin whispering bells.
...she stopped singing in the middle of a note and said, quite softly: "Guards." There must have been a microphone to pick up her words, for there was a sudden commotion outside. But more than that, she had defenders nearer still. The doves on her shoulders leaped into the air and flung themselves at the prostrate little man. Sharp beaks tore, wingtips like knives beat at him. The door opened and four tall women in the blue of the Planner's guard raced in...


("The Reefs of Space" by Pohl and Williamson)

The doves, which had been describing precise circles in the air, shook themselves and returned to the girl's shoulders. Their hot small eyes never left Ryeland, but after a moment they began to coo again.
"You're an iron-collar man, aren't you?" the girl asked suddenly...


(The Peace Doves of "The Reefs of Space" by Pohl and Williamson)

Ryeland swore angrily. The Peace Doves squawked and rose into the air, circling around him. He paused, searched around, found a length of heavy chain just outside the cage door. Heaven knew what it had been used for - though the stains on it. suggested one possibility. He caught it up and dove into the cage after the girl.
"Stop," she said calmly. "I don't want to turn the Doves loose on you."


(Peace Doves defend! from "The Reefs of Space" by Pohl and Williamson)

Technovelgy from The Reefs of Space, by Jack Williamson (w/F. Pohl).
Published by If: Worlds of Science Fiction in 1963
Additional resources -

Here's another view of the birds:


(The silvery metal birds of "The Reefs of Space" by Pohl and Williamson)


(Peace Dove detail from "The Reefs of Space" by Pohl and Williamson)


(Peace Dove detail from "The Reefs of Space" by Pohl and Williamson)

Compare to the artificial bird from The Artificial Bird (1929) by Karel Capek, the robot bird from Invader on My Back, by Philip E. High, published by Ace Books in 1968, the tracer birds from Roger Zelazny's Changeling (1980) and little bird from Darwin's Children (2003) by Greg Bear.

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Additional resources:
  More Ideas and Technology from The Reefs of Space
  More Ideas and Technology by Jack Williamson (w/F. Pohl)
  Tech news articles related to The Reefs of Space
  Tech news articles related to works by Jack Williamson (w/F. Pohl)

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