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Archer led the way downstairs, but not before he had made me change my boots for something more rugged ("You cannot fight without traction!") and put on a leather contraption that he apparently had given me for an occasion such as this.
It was a cross between body armour and a strait jacket. It had sleeves of soft leather with lightweight metal panels on the forearms and biceps. I had to slide my arms into these, and then Archer wrapped the wide pieces of leather that were attached to the sleeves, around my body. It felt very strange going on, but when he was finished, and I looked in the mirror, I could see what a great piece of clothing it was. The straps fitted perfectly around my wings, protecting their joinings. The pieces continued around my torso, wrapping me with a thick
