Deputising for gossipocracy

deputising for gossipocracy: Matthew is elected leader of the four gospellers.

so, the gossipocracy sounds like the democracy of the gospels, and deputising is like being elected the head of a deputation, or the delegate to a meeting. Matthew is the spokesman again. Though in this interrogation it is often far from clear who is speaking. Sometimes several of the four questioners appear to speak, and Yawn himself speaks in several different voices depending what questions he is asked, and whether he answers as himself, HCE or Finnegan.