The Winged Bull Hardened to some degree through adversity in the trenches and post War joblessness, besides being disillusioned by conventional religion, Ted Murchison has a vision of the Assyrian Winged Bull in the British Museum while chancing on his one-time Commanding Officer Alick Brangwyn shortly afterwards. Brangwyn, now an experienced esoteric researcher – testing the practicality of initiating change in accordance with will – offers him a job as general handyman. As a result, Murchison now meets Brangwyn's ethereal sister, Ursula, who has also become involved in the occult arts. Bragnwyn reveals that his sister has been rescued and is under a form of benevolent house arrest for own good, having become unwisely embroiled in a 'black' Lodge and the schemes of a practitioner of the negative occult, called Astley, who has marked her down as a feminine sacrifice for one of his questionable rituals. After Astley succeeds in spiriting her away once again, Murchison organises Ursula's rescue from playing a principal role in Astley's version of the Black Mass. From then on Ursula and Ted polarise successfully; realising each possesses elemental qualities that the other lacks in what is likely to become an on-going positive long term relationship