Now knowing his full situation, Stevens begins to search for a way to escape his fate. Locating a collector of arcane artifacts named Mr. Azopardi, Stevens begins to subtly press him to allow Stevens access to the Levant Rubric, an ancient book containing spells Stevens believes will save him without having to merge with Strange. Mr. Azopardi turns out to be a person of great paranoia, who suspects Stevens of being a demon who wants to steal his soul. Mr. Azopardi lures Stevens into a trap and attempts to kill him. His life is saved only when Strange arrives and kills Azopardi. In the process, the Levant Rubric is destroyed and an enraged Stevens totally rejects Strange.