 |
| Illustration done by John Picacio for Millipede Press's art book Artists Inspired By H.P. Lovecraft |
There was no rhyme or reason for Oliver Bixby to ever begin
to pursue the arcane arts of necromancy. His New-England born parents had roots
extending all the way back to the Mayflower era and only immigrated to the
Caicos Islands in the Caribbean after the conclusion of the American
Revolution, as the British army and colonial Loyalists were forced out of the
burgeoning new country. Luckily for the young Bixby his father, Frederick
Bixby, the sole earner in the family had a preternatural ability for business
and within a few years had acquired some land and began a small but profitable
business exporting cotton to England’s faraway colonies. Over time, Frederick
acquired more and more land and in turn his increased wealth allowed him to
purchase newly arrived Africans as cheap labor to work his fields. By the time
Ollie was born the Bixby estate had 100 slaves and expanded to the size of
three plantations. Ollie’s mother, Abigail, was a unique woman, foregoing the
teachings of the church and the rigid rules which bound women to their
husbands, fathers, and sons, Abigail was quite the lone wolf. Her behavior, to
say the least, would have driven most men to drink but Frederick loved his wife
and never struck or argued with her. All in all, young Oliver had quite an
ordinary life, relatively speaking.
