I found this to be an awesome work of flash fiction, I must say. The biggest thing that I liked in this piece was the overall theme/idea...it's very well thought out and good. The First Secretary has her reasons - motivation - and the people seizing on the idea of the gold rush is very believable. Of course once the rumors of such a profitable thing existing, people would go to check it out. I also liked the even keel of the Secretary - "Of course, not everyone got rich" but people would jump at the opportunity. It's a bit diabolical - purposely lying to the people - and practical - trying to boom the economy. It's a bit fantastic but grounded at the same time, a very hard trick to pull off. My only nit pic was the following sentence...

"a brief historical period in one part of one of the U.S. States would be like the American President being expected to know all about the Portuguese-chartered companies of the late Nineteenth Century instituting forced labor policies that conflicted with Mozambique’s abolition of slavery"

I got lost trying to read it, and I had to go through it a few times. I got the point of it, but it's very long and I think inhibited the flow of the flash fiction. The example was very specific to point out of course they didn't know and they shouldn't for their positions ... in my opinion, it's giving the reader to much there. Of course, only my opinion. Overall, the story is astounding for what you accomplished in a short word span, terrific story, keep writing!

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My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" .