Anders cranked up his observation skill to the max, anticipating a trap:
-Yes, of course, he could.
"Smile," said the man, and pointed the basilisk's head towards Anders.
The basilisk uses "Petrify" on Anders. Success.
Added 1 minute ago
I was already thinking about that. Maybe we should still go to the slums, armed and in a defensive formation, just so we have somewhere to live.