Prefill email/textfield component with node author email -OR- email cck submission

This inquiry could help a lot of people:

I have been stuck for a while on what was ostensibly an easy task at first: setting up a webform with a few prefilled fields. It has now become the bane of my existence.

Here's the scenario:

I have a custom content type in which only registered users can view. It has a contact form I setup using the webform module. (Forget the other contact modules) Everything woks swimmingly, with the necessary prefilled user data, etc, and other details, except for the fact that I have no idea how to prefill the node author email! Why is this so difficult?

I can solve this problem two ways (with your help, of course):

1. use/generate a token from the node author email associated with the node

2. use/generate a token from the hidden email cck field I have enabled in the node creation page (optional and redundant, but another way to handle the data if solution #1 is too difficult)

Which is the best way, and HOW?