Everyone acted as if he was talking to himself. Passers-by pointed at him, but never cared to ask if he needed help. Gossiping about how he was standing at the edge.
The silent knowledge was reflected in the mute horror they were all constantly hiding from each other. His disaster became transparent to the ones, who were heartless by force. Their salvation was given up for the sake of comfortable inertia.
* He reached the dead end. They made each other believe he did. They would have never confessed it was them, who were finished.