Dr. James Walton was the colleague and biographer of British detective Athelstan Helms. Walton accompanied Helms to the United States of Atlantis to investigate a series of murders linked to the House of Universal Devotion sect.

Walton was a veteran of the British war in Afghanistan. He was quite ethnocentric, finding much in Atlantis that offended his English sensibilities. He was for example, rather disgusted that their chief liason in the Hanover police, Inspector La Strada was of Italian descent. Walton viewed the House of Universal Devotion in great contempt, and was convinced of the guilt of its founder, Samuel Jones, aka "The Preacher".

Walton traveled by train with Helms to Thetford, one of the House's strongholds in the country. Just after they met with Sergeant Casimir Karpinski, Helms discovered Preacher Jones disguised as a janitor on the platform. After Helms questioned Jones, the two Englishmen retired to a hotel. Over dinner, the two were joined by Benjamin Joshua Morris, a lawyer who claimed to have substantial evidence of Preacher Jones' misdeeds. Morris left the hotel and was immediately shot dead.

The truth of the murders came to light shortly after, as Helms immediately suspected Karpinski, who was present at the murder scene too quickly. Helms confronted the police officer, and extracted a confession to being part of a larger conspiracy to frame the House.

However, the revelation did not endear Helms and Walton to the Atlantean population, which now realized that the House was immunized from criticism. Walton and Helms fled. Their voyage back to England was made more pleasant by Polly and Kate, two of Jones' female followers, sent as an expression of the Preacher's gratitude.

Literary Comment Edit

James Walton is based upon Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's John Watson, the famous partner and biographer of Sherlock Holmes. Turtledove's Walton overtly expresses the prejudices common to the average Englishman, something Watson seldom did.

v · d · e Atlantis Books Opening Atlantis ("New Hastings", "Avalon", "Nouveau Redon") • The United States of Atlantis • Liberating Atlantis 1 of 4 Add photo Short Stories "Audubon in Atlantis" • "The Scarlet Band" POV Characters Edward Radcliffe • Henry Radcliffe • Richard Radcliffe • William Radcliff • Red Rodney Radcliffe • Victor Radcliff • Roland Kersauzon • Frederick Radcliff • Leland Newton • Jeremiah Stafford • John James Audubon • James Walton Secondary Characters François Kersauzon • Earl of Warwick • Ethel Radcliffe • Blaise Black • Charles Cornwallis • Louis-Joseph de Montcalm-Gozon • Meg Radcliff • Custis Cawthorne • Isaac Fenner • George III of Britain • Louis XVI of France • Marquis de Lafayette • Habakkuk Biddiscombe • Nicholas Radcliff • Helen Radcliff • Lorenzo • Athelstan Helms Geography Atlantis Events Battle of the Strand • Avalon • French and Spanish War • Atlantean War of Independence • Atlantean Servile Insurrection