Did Dickens ever write himself into a hole he couldn't write himself out of? - a rhetorical question

  a rhetorical question*  

(Sir) Simon Clegg
Mayor of Casterbridge
1759-1767**

The phone rang. It was Axel again.
     “It’s been almost a month,” he said.
     “What? Since what?” I said.
     “I emailed your friend Gaspar.”
     “What did he say?” There was a pause.
     “He didn’t,” Axel said. “He didn’t say anything. He didn’t get back to me.” Another pause.
     “Oh,” I said. “Hmmm.”
     “You remember Nils and I wondered if he existed, that whole operation.”
     “Rantrage Press.”
     “Yes. Remember?”
     “You wondered if it wasn’t a fig-newton of my imagination, yes.”
     “You assured us it was not,” Axel said. He sounded tired.
     “Did I? Hmmm.”
                                                                       02.03.21
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  * “Didn’t Dickens always press forward?” Roz asked, answering the rhetorical question. “Yes,” I said. “But,” Roz said, “you don’t believe anything is linear. That’s what you’re always saying.” “Yes.” “Then, you wouldn’t have to dig yourself out of anything. You could dig deeper.” “Yes.” “Or sideways.” “Yes,” I said. “Yes, sideways.”
** Clegg was also author of the philosophical treatise, The Evidence of Gout, a reply to Bishop Berkeley on the jubilee of Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge. Sketch by m ball in PAINT JOY by Doodle Joy Studio.