Around 20 of the European Commission's less high-profile bosses are considering bunking off for the rest of their term in office and seeing if anyone notices.
With commission president Ursula von der Leyen only trusting around half a dozen of her team to actually do anything, there's a growing feeling among the others that they could 'just slink off' and put their feet up until late 2024.
"We're barely trusted with the tin opener, let alone with any mandate to make any proposals or appear in public," said one commissioner who declined to be identified, but couldn't be anyway.
"If they're only going to be wheeling out Frans, Valdis and Margrethe for everything, giving Thierry all the photo opps with vaccine makers, and letting Maroš deal with the Brits, what's left for the rest of us?" they said.
It's understood the group of disgruntled plotters includes the one who I think got a question a bit wrong in his parliamentary hearing and had to send written clarifications afterwards, he's in charge of relations with regional partnership management or something. And the one who does Institutional Integrity I think, used to be an MEP. Met her at a reception once.
At least one approached for comment had forgotten they had a commission job at all.
"I do what? Really?" he said.
"How am I doing? Better than Josep?"
"At least there's that."