Hi, I'm Lovar Burton and this is Lovar Burton Reads.

In every episode I handpick a different piece of short fiction and I read it to you.

The only thing these stories have in common is that I love them and I hope you will too.

Y'all, I've got a really powerful story to share with you today by the speculative fiction writer, Karen Osborn.

Now, Karen is the author of Architects of Memory and Ingins of Oblivion, both from Tor Books.

And she's also a graduate of Viable Paradise and the Clarion writer's workshop.

This story was originally published at EscapePod.

The title of the story comes from the lyrics of an old wailing song called The Wings of a Ghani.

It refers to the bird that we know as an albatross but to sailors out on the high seas it was a ghani or even a goony bird.

The wailer singing the song is looking mournfully at an albatross flying over, admiring its freedom as he's been out sailing for years.

Searching for that jackpot of a whale.

Karen has taken the wailer's toiling and set it in outer space, really beautifully blending the natural world that's familiar to us and the possibilities and pitfalls of exploring beyond our earth.

The lyrics in part go like this.

These trials we bear for nion for years till our flying jib points to home were supposed for our toil to get a bonus on the oil and an equal share of the bone.

We go to the agent to settle for our trip and it's there we have caused to repent.

For we've slaved away for years of our life and we've earned about three pounds ten.

Please check out the episode description for a content advisory if you're so inclined and if you're ready that's take a deep breath.

And begin.

And equal share of the bone by Karen Osborne.

To kill a Therada you need gun boats and suits, laser cutters and open-mod cargo bays, brawn and a stout heart and God on your side.

We of course had none of that.

I learned in the merchant Marines to never shoot a Therada with a standard rail gun. They'll thrash and ride and put angry holes through your hull.

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