Melchia listens quietly, before speaking himself.
"We have another option to consider: we could shadow this fellow, find out where he lives and what places he frequents, then take the book from him. By force. Done quietly and discreetly, none would be the wiser. We would risk angering this fellow's friends, and upsetting the local law enforcement, but we do outnumber this person, and he does seem to have criminal leanings."