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“I do not!” Ariadne said trying to control her temper.
“You want to register a patent?” the man repeated daftly.
Ariadne nodded and took out the lamp from the cloth and set it on the table. “This is my invention.”
“This looks like any other street lamp with the added inconvenience of a mesh screen.”
“It’s not an inconvenience. It is to warn the miners when there’s a lack of oxygen and they’re unaware. These can save many lives. Sir, if you please let my documents speak for me.”
“There’s no need for that,” the man said hastily. For one moment, hope bloomed in her heart. She was so close to success that she could almost taste it in her tongue and then—
“Do you have the licensing forms?” he asked shortly.
“No—”
“The consent form, the device safety form—” he went on a tirade of words and Ariadne fought to catch up. By the end of it, she didn’t have any of it straight.
“You will need to go down to Frank’s office. They will get you the forms that you need.”
“Where is that?” Ariadne asked.
“Listen, girl,” the man said as if already losing patience. “You should have done your research before waltzing into this office and wasting my time. I don’t operate to your whimsy, do you understand?”
“I did my research,” Ariadne said.
“Well you didn’t do it enough,” the man said with a note of irritation. “Ask anyone for Frank’s office near the docks and they’ll show it to you. Bring all the papers they ask for and we shall talk.”
“All right,” Ariadne said. She couldn’t argue with him lest he decided not to entertain her again. She quickly left the office and made her way toward the docks which was a few streets away. When her nose caught the smell of brine, she knew she was close. She asked around for directions and finally, two men helpfully pointed the place out to her, while many others threw her lecherous looks as she walked down the street.
Even though it was still daylight, there was a rough crowd there, but fortunately living in the slums had shown her what the worst of the men had to offer. She would use her fists if it came to it. Undaunted, she made her way to Frank’s office which turned out to be a small, crooked office with five men inside. By the time she reached there, her legs were already aching, but she couldn’t possibly spare more coins for a carriage ride.
Three of the clerks were blowing smoke from their pipes when Ariadne walked in. The office was in a state of disarray. The floors and walls were dirty and chipping in places. She was almost convinced she had the wrong address.
“I am looking for a Mr. Frank?” she said hoping one of the men would respond. Their desks were covered in papers and files similar to the ones that she had seen at the Registrar’s office.
“Yes and you are?” one of the men, a portly looking fellow with a mustache answered. The others eyed her with great interest and Ariadne was quickly growing uncomfortable under their gazes.
“I was sent here for some forms,” she said. “I wish to apply for a patent for an invention.”
Frank looked at her and then at his colleagues and burst out laughing. The back of Ariadne’s neck grew hot. “Did I say something so terribly funny?”
“Indeed,” Frank said wiping invisible tears from the corner of his eyes. “You’re looking to patent your invention?”
“Yes,” Ariadne said. She placed the lamp on the table. “This is it.”
Frank picked it up and examined the device. “You made this?”
“Yes,” Ariadne said, “under the tutelage of my father.”
“And you wish to patent it under your name?” Frank asked. He kept the device aside and looked as if his examination of the device hadn’t quite satisfied his curiosity.
“Yes, and if you can hand me a match I can demonstrate to you how the lamp works.”
Frank crossed his arms in front of me. “Explain it to me,” he said. Ariadne wanted to leave with the form, but if this meant that she would be taken more seriously, so be it.
Ariadne picked up the lamp and deposited her other documents on the chair beside the table. She took a deep breath. This would be the first time that the world would know about the brilliant design of her father. Sweat trickled down her back.
“The wick is supposed to go out only when the oxygen level drops well below an alarming level. This is the primary mechanism through which the lives of the miners will be saved. The theory is simple. Sometimes they venture into spaces they shouldn’t, unknowingly, and this lamp wouldn’t just act as their guide. It would warn them too.” She continued to speak and stopped only when she was interrupted.
