The country’s national security council met the other day with Number One in the chair. 

Security forces chiefs, Police chief and chief secretaries among others, are required to attend these meetings held on a regular basis. 
Prior to holding this meeting, Number One had told his secretary: “Call all security chiefs for the meeting, but let not that chief set foot anywhere near the place when the council is meeting!”

The secretary was to learn soon that his boss was referring to a head of a department responsible for maintaining law and order among many other things. On seeking further instructions, the secretary was asked to invite to the council meeting two deputy level ones who could be relied on not to divulge the state security secrets.

So, for the first time in its history, the security council had met with two deputies of this key department representing their chief when the latter was available as large as life in his office.