The cathedral disgorged its faithful onto its steps and the courtyard beyond where I was working.

From another direction came a woman bearing flowers who gave me a large multi petaled long stemmed beauty. I had my bait and waited.

When tricking a nun, if you have the luxury of choice, choose not a radiant serene beatific nun, instead seek out a dour, jowls prominent, brooding nun.

(Its the timeless clown nastiness of the long-stemmed flower being offered and the mark being left holding the stem.)

You offer a flower to a stern nun and her face changes, it softens slightly, you may even get a smile, then you leave her holding the stem as you turn your back and her face resets into distrust, well all I have to say is that there's more to that than just comic humiliation.

To work outside a cathedral is to invite nun-interaction but also eventually I’m looking at nun insurrection, collective vengeance, a hideous final justice, shredding the panto. A nun, clutching my leg, sets fire to herself.
I know I am no match for the catholic imagination.

My only defence. I know a cheap laugh when I see one.