In the Land of Giants

by Gabi Martinez

  I have dedicated nearly three years to a story in which, as you have seen, I ended up risking my own life. None of my literary ‘interventions’ detract from the ultimate truth of everything I have written here. I would have been the greatest of fools if I had done anything to jeopardise so much effort, so much reality.

  Acknowledgements

  IN addition to all the people who appear in this story either under their own name or a pseudonym, this book is indebted for warmth, strength, or momentum to Raquel Abad, Uzma Aslam Khan, Mabel Beltrán, Sandra Bruna, Pilar Caballero, Manuel Calderón, Robert-Joan Cantavella, Carlos Cazalis, Daniel Centeno, Anne Dambricourt-Malassé, Gérard Dupon, Amaya Elezcano, Mathias Énard, Camila Enrich, Jordi Esteva, Gulhamad Farooqi, Jean-Michel Faton, Jean-Pierre Frachon, Josep Garcia, Sikandar Gulam Khan, Bernardo Gutiérrez, Wolfgang Herbinger, Daniel Hernández, Javed Ilyas, Tahira Javed, Junaid Khan, Joan Marcet, Cristina Martínez, Carles Mercader, Mariana Montoya, Marie Morvan, Mohammad Mustafa Masoor, Nabaig, Kayhan Natiq, Iván Niño, Marina Penalva, Ahmed Rashid, Pilar Reyes, Jean Rivollier, Ana Gabriela Rojas, Jordi Rourera, Thomas Schaef, Mario Torrecillas, Clara Usón, Agustín Villaronga.

  To Ella Sher, the friend who heard ‘the mountains of Pakistan’, ‘yeti’, and ‘Into the Wild’, and thought of me.

  To Ilse Font, who gives gifts of books that prompt new stories to be written.

  And, well, though you do already make a momentary appearance in these pages, a big thank you, Gerardo, for your constant support, for your optimism.

  Elsa is much more than a giant.

  Without Esperanza and Dolores, this would not exist today.

  Without my family, nothing would.

  Contents

  About the Author

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Epigraph

  I

  II

  III

  IV

  V

  VI

  VII

  VIII

  IX

  X

  XI

  XII

  XIII

  XIV

  XV

  XVI

  XVII

  XVIII

  XIX

  XX

  XXI

  XXII

  XXIII

  XXIV

  XXV

  XXVI

  XXVII

  XXVIII

  XXIX

  XXX

  XXXI

  XXXII

  XXXIII

  XXXIV

  XXXV

  XXXVI

  XXXVII

  XXXVIII

  XXXIX

  XL

  XLI

  XLII

  XLIII

  XLIV

  XLV

  XLVI

  XLVII

  XLVIII

  XLIX

  L

  LI

  LII

  LIII

  LIV

  LV

  LVI

  LVII

  PARADISE LOST

  LVIII

  LIX

  LX

  LXI

  LXII

  LXIII

  LXIV

  LXV

  LXVI

  LXVII

  LXVIII

  Epilogue

  Imagination

  Saying

  A Nuance

  Acknowledgements