Limburger and Mace both cringed at the sight of the putrid, half-rotted gruel served to them in the prison mess hall.
"My stomach is much too sensitive for such substandard sustenance," Limburger said as he toyed with the gruel on his plate while sitting at a dinner table with Mace and several other Plutarkian prisoners.
Mace, who was starving, tried to fork a mouthful of the supposedly edible gruel into his mouth. He gagged on the smell of it and quickly became nauseated. He tried to flee from the table to a nearby bathroom but the chains on his ankles tripped him. He fell to the floor. His fall shook the table which caused his plate of gruel, which was sitting precariously at the edge of the table, to fall on top of him.
"My, how the mighty have fallen," an amused Limburger said as he laughed at Mace.
"Speak for yourself Lawrence," Mace said as he attempted to get up off the floor. He tripped again as he was trying to get off the floor. He fell flat on his back, which resulted in uproarious laughter from Limburger and the other prisoners.
Mace winced in pain. To further add to his humiliation, a television camera crew shoved a camera in his face. Mace grimaced at the thought of his gruel-covered image being broadcast throughout the galaxy. He knew that no one would ever respect him again.
"Here's your check Mr. Limburger. Glad to do business with you," a television producer said to Limburger as he handed him a direct deposit pay stub.
Limburger became giddy with delight upon seeing the amount on the pay stub. He had struck a deal with television producers to do a reality show about his life behind bars. The cash-strapped Limburger was glad to embrace anyone or anything that would allow him to earn a profit.
"The pleasure is all mine dear chap," Limburger said pleasantly to the television producer.
The producer laughed. "No, really it's all mine. After that disastrous reality show with the Loogey Brothers, I was on thin ice in Plutarkwood. No one would greenlight any of my projects but I'm sure this show will be a winner. Everyone loves to watch a train wreck."
"Yes, Lawrence's whole life has been one big train wreck," Alexa said as she walked into the mess hall flanked by her two bodyguards.
"Alexa!" Limburger shouted as he lunged for his ex-wife. Like Mace, he tripped over his ankle chains and fell to the floor, right at Alexa's feet.
Alexa calmly walked over to the dinner table, where Limburger had left his pay stub. She picked it up and put it in her purse.
"No!" Limburger moaned in anguish as Alexa walked away with his pay stub.
"You never learn do you Lawrence?" Alexa chided Limburger. "You see, Bobby the producer here is a good friend of mine. When he told me that he was doing a reality show starring your sorry behind, I knew that you were trying to pull a fast one on me again. Trying to earn money without me knowing about it. Shame, shame shame," Alexa said as she wagged an accusing finger at Limburger. "Trying to keep your poor ex-wife from the money that is rightfully hers. I'm just going to take this pay stub to the judge so that I can get what is owed to me."
"However, you will still have to do the reality show because you signed a contract with Bobby. You'll be working for free, just think of it as an internship," Alexa told Limburger.
Alexa then waved her hand dismissingly at Limburger. She then air-kissed Bobby on both cheeks. "I hope you break the bank making this show about his pathetic life," Alexa told Bobby. "That way, we both win. Your career will be redeemed and I'll get plenty of money in royalty payments."
"Farewell criminals," Alexa said as she walked out of the mess hall. "I hope you enjoy making my next license plate."