Although you still have not responded to the questions that I posed to you in my letter of 4 February -- because the origin of these misfortunes is one thing, and their reparation is quite another -- I certainly rejoice about what you announced in your letter of 22 February: the apparent intention of your false-brother to renounce getting involved in the affairs of Champ Libre[1] so as to sabotage them.
It seems to me that his final threat is very vain. You are not at all obligated to buy back his shares so that he leaves you [alone] to manage the business; he has no right and he has even less right after the unfortunate results that were caused by his attempt to inveigle an inheritance.
You would be right to think that the value of Champ Libre has been diminished by half during several weeks of management by Blanc-Valentine.[2] Because what this publishing house essentially possessed was hardly effective means of distribution, but prestige. It is already half-lost (cf. enclosed piece).[3]
As you know, I have tried to save everything by proposing to you again the Declaration of 31 January;[4] your false-brother has refused to sign it. Today I no longer want to discuss [it] with you alone, but I can assure you of my good will in meeting with you in the best conditions to save what we can of the admirable work of your father.
Of course I require three prerequisites to this easy negotiation:
1) the immediate discharge of Madame Anita Blanc for grave professional errors;
2) the management of the "Strategic and Historical Games Company" in such a way that I am the majority associate;
3) the written promise from SoproFilms (that is to say, you, again) that my films, produced by this company, will never be shown in public without my formal agreement. I had previously been content with the verbal promise of your mother, of course.
Naturally, after all that has happened, the agreements that need to be made by us must be formalized by our [respective] attorneys.
We embrace you,[1] Translator's note: this was the original name of the publishing house, before the murder of Gerard Lebovici, for whom Editions Gerard Lebovici was subsequently named.
[2] Translator's note: Anita Blanc, a secretary, and Lorenzo Valentine, Nicolas Lebovici's half-brother.
[3] Translator's note: not included in the Fayard edition.
[4] Assuring "the maintenance of Editions Gerard Lebovici in the spirit in which it was run by Gerard and Floriana Lebovici" and guaranteeing "Guy Debord the full right to break off relations between himself an the aforementioned publishing house, without any obstacle being presented by you, in case it happens that our current arrangements are not followed."
(Published in Guy Debord Correspondance, Vol 7: Janvier 1988-Novembre 1994 by Librairie Artheme Fayard, 2008. Translated from the French by NOT BORED! January 2009. Footnotes by the publisher, except where noted.)