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

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.

And we're back, y'all.

Season 9.

Here we go.

You know, I love a story that brings a little joy and wonder to my day and today, that story

is the Bank of Burkina Faso by Akatorina Sedia.

I discovered it in the best of World SF, Volume 1, edited by Lovie Tadar.

But fun fact, Lovie wrote the story Iwo, which I read a few seasons back on the podcast.

Today's story is also a part of Akatorina's story collection, Moscow, but dreaming.

Akatorina is the author of such critically acclaimed and award-nominated novels as the secret

history of Moscow and the Alchemy of Stone.

She's had many short stories published in a number of venues, including the recent

anthology Eurasian Monsters.

Akatorina is also a biology professor, animal rescuer and activist, you know, in her spare

time.

Now I don't like to give too much away before digging into a story, but I think it's

fair to tell you that the Nigerian prince email scam figures prominently here.

And I'm about 99.999% sure you've received an email like this, a prince or military official

or someone who sounds quite authoritative emails you that they have a huge sum of money

hidden in a foreign bank.

...