Link to open external pdf file created at higher level than expected

We are publishing a large (1000 page) document. The document contains links to external pdf files. Pages with the links were imported from MIF files. The MIF files contained the statement (openlink ../drawings/xxxx.pdf). When the full document gets published, the openlink command ends up as (../../../drawings/xxxx.pdf). For some reason extra ../ are added to the creation of the links. We are using nested book files. If we just publish 1 page of links, everything works (../drawings/xxxx.pdf). We publish the entire section we get (../../drawings/xxxx.pdf) and the entire document gives us (../../../drawings/xxxx.pdf) any ideas?